With the festive season already in full swing, we’ve put together a list of our top 5 tips to ensure you remain hip, healthy and happy throughout the Christmas period. Read on for the lowdown…
- Practice self love
Our number one tip this Christmas (and all year long), is to practice self-love, self-kindness and self-gratitude. Whilst Christmas is often deemed a chaotic and stressful time of year, it needn’t be this way. A simple change in perspective is really all you need to change this all-too-common mindset. Instead of beating yourself up over missing your workout or polishing off that second slice of Christmas pudding, remind yourself that a few missed sweat sessions or the occasional over-indulgence will not set you back and that it’s what you do most of the time, not some of the time that counts! If you find yourself berating your actions this Christmas, repeat this mantra: I love and accept myself unconditionally.
- Keep active
And no, that doesn’t mean over-exercising to compensate for Christmas treats – it means trying to stick as best you can to your current exercise regime and embracing incidental exercise as much as possible. Before you settle down to watch Christmas movies and drink hot chocolate, head out for a brisk walk and breathe in that crisp winter air! If you have sensitive digestion and find that holidays such as Christmas which are largely centered around food cause tummy upset, learn to love restorative yoga which is known to aid in digestion. Additionally, if you find Christmas a particularly stressful time of year, restorative exercise is a great way to keep you centered and exercise your mindfulness muscle (more on that below).
- Learn to say no
One of the hardest things to master, the simple prospect of saying no can cause anxiety for a lot of people. Applying just as much to social engagements as it does to food, alcohol and all that’s in between; if you’ve invested time into embracing a healthier lifestyle full of healthy wholesome foods, exercise and adequate rest, do not feel ashamed of saying no to any of the aforementioned if you feel like it will not serve you well. Whilst we’re all for embracing a healthy, unprocessed and clean eating lifestyle, we also believe that balance is the key when it comes to sustaining this way of life, which means the odd glass of wine or mince tart is totally acceptable!
- Get creative in the kitchen
If you’re used to being cooked for on Christmas day, try something new this year and enjoy getting creative in the kitchen! There are so many great resources out there with recipes for healthier alternatives to traditional Christmas favourites so there’s really no excuse! This Christmas we’ll be making up a big batch of our Christmas Porridge with Cashew and Cinnamon Cream to serve for breakfast, our Healthy Christmas Pudding and a batch of our Healthy Christmas Truffles for snacking on all throughout December!
- Be mindful
A surefire way to enjoy your Christmas is as stress-free as possible is to practice being more mindful. Bringing a sense of presence to how you move through your day is one of the most important skills to master, as difficult as it can sometimes be! Being mindful of how and what you’re eating, your breath, your movement and even the way you communicate with your loved ones and yourself is the first step to establishing that important connection between your body and mind. An easy way to get started is to practice the art of mindful eating. Keep posted for our interview with mindful eating expert Elaine Slater coming soon!
Words by Zsa Zsa Vella
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