How To Adjust Your Routine To The Holiday Season

Holiday preparations are in full swing. Decorating, planning, and scheduling. All this takes extra time and energy. Before we know it, we are skipping the exercises, snack extra cookies, and fall exhausted onto the couch. Still, we expect that we have superpowers to do it all. The result is that we feel overwhelmed, stressed, and make unhealthy choices. Let’s accept that this is a different time of year and with the extra load we have to adjust accordingly. Time to make small changes to your schedule but keep the most important healthy routines. 

Take a moment and check in with yourself and answer the following questions:

• Which routines in your schedule are the most important ones for you? 
• Which routines help you to manage your stress best?
• Which routines help you to stay on track to your bigger goals?
• Which routines can be adjusted? Perform in less time or frequency? 
• How much time do I need to dedicate to the new tasks?

Now, take a look at your week and month ahead and be honest to you yourself about how much time existing routines and new tasks take. Make sure to plan in buffer time. For example, it takes much longer to find a parking spot at the mall or grocery store ( my biggest pitfall). 

3 Best Routines To Have During The Holiday 

I highly suggest having the following routines during the Holiday Season to reduce the feeling of stress and overwhelm.

#1 Morning Routine

A good morning routine sets the tone for the whole day. Start your day the same way so that your brain does not have to go into overdrive right after waking. Take a moment during this time to look at your tasks and your schedule for the day. Schedule a break for yourself. Set an intention for the day that you can remind yourself of.

#2 Maintain Your Meal Times

Take care of your body and brain. Skipping meals will put the brain into a threat response and survival mode. The sympathetic system will be ramped up and the feeling of stress is invertible. Muscles tense up and the aches and pains will show up as well. 

#3 Evening Routine

Calming down in the evening is important for a good night’s sleep. During the night the body and brain recover and recharge. Eat your dinner 3 hours before bed, stay off the screen 2 hours before bed, and maintain a consistent bedtime will set you up not just for a good night but also a productive following day.