There’s no gift pressure, no worries about whether or not you’ll find seats at church or temple. It’s just family, friends, fun, football and food!
For many of us, however, Thanksgiving can be the start of a stressful season, especially if you’re trying to manage the extra indulgences of eating and drinking, coping with high-maintenance relations, and hustling to make everyone happy except yourself.
So, let’s take a pre-Turkey Day deep breath and review some tips for making sure you have a great holiday:
Don’t forget to breathe!
Extra family time, errands, planning, travel -- there’s a lot of stress wrapped up in these “magical” moments. Find a quiet corner and take three deep breaths. Even hide in the bathroom for a second if you need to. Collect yourself and your thoughts and get back to the chaos feeling refreshed.
Stay active.
It’s so important to try and keep up some kind of fitness level or activity during the holiday. You may be traveling or the gym may be closed, but you can always do some quick body weight exercises like planks, jumping jacks, squats etc. The classics are to organize a touch football game with the fam or go for a walk after the big meal. This will keep your body in balance and you won’t feel as sluggish.
Get outside!
This is a great transition from my staying active tip. Being in nature is always a great way to feel good and help with stress. It’s also great when you may be spending a ton of time indoors to break it up a bit and get an actual breath of fresh air.
Try macro tricks to prevent carb overload.
We always want to make sure we keep our macro nutrients balanced, including more proteins and good fats with our starches/carbs. This will help digestion work more efficiently and keep you satisfied longer. And definitely be sure to get a good helping of veggies on your plate. Eating in balance prevents bloating and helps regulate the waistline.
Handle the sugar high.
Let’s make this short and sweet (pun intended): be sure to have your sweet treat within an hour of your meal. That way you are not eating a ton of sugar on an empty stomach, which otherwise may just get stored as fat.
Water, water and more water!
Water will help with digestion and flush those toxins out of the body. A great trick if you are feeling a bit bloated after your holiday meal is drinking water with some lemon juice in it. It will diminish the bloat and help move things along, if you know what I mean. Ground ginger is also great in a cup of warm water with some lemon as well. And be especially aware of your need to stay hydrated when you are traveling!
Be cool with the booze.
It may be hard to completely avoid cocktails during the holidays. Just remember everything in moderation. You definitely don’t want to be the one relative shmammered at the Thanksgiving dinner table!. Having a belly full of food can help versus drinking on an empty stomach, just pace yourself and even give yourself an allowance of drinks. Alternate a glass of water between cocktails, and avoid sugary mixers to keep that empty calorie count in check.
Be present!
While your mind is buzzing with to-do’s and you are planning every minute of the day, find a moment to pause and just observe all that is happening around you. Time is literally flying, and sometimes we need to let go and just enjoy the moment. This is also a great time to check in and make sure everyone is not just lost in their phones. Of course we want to capture moments and post them on social media, but we want to be present and give those moments our full attention!
Surround yourself with those you love and who love you most!
Holiday time is made special by the people we love most. Make sure you are spending your time and energy with those you love and love you back.
Practice gratitude!
Gratitude is something we should practice daily, but the holidays are always a great check-in and way to maintain life perspective. Thanksgiving is, after all, the gratitude holiday. It’s when we should recognize all the things we are thankful for! Give your gratitude some extra attention this year. No matter what may be going on in your life, remember there is always a lot to be thankful for.