The holidays is often such a hectic time of year. The kids are off school, there are countless parties and gathering to attend and the pace is all over the place. As a mum, it can be such a stressful time trying to manage the kids, festivities, present shopping and keeping everyone entertained while still being organised.
So in the next 12 days leading up to the holidays, I’m gifting you a dozen healthy tips and ideas to reduce stress, carve out some me time for yourself and survive one of the busiest times of year.
Ready to step up to the 12 Days of Fitmas challenge? It's totally free and filled with bite-sized tips even the most crazy busy mumma can fit into her day. I've purposely made these challenge suggestions simple but chosen them for how effective they all are at boosting your mood, reducing stress, and keeping you on the healthy track during the silly season.
Despite it being such a mad busy time of year, it is possible to ease through the holidays maintaining your gains and keeping good habits. The trick is looking ahead for obstacles and having a few tricks up your sleeve for when you are faced with them.
12 Days Of Fitmas Challenge With Eat Nourish Glow
To get started is super simple. Bookmark this page and plug the next days into your calendar. Every day I will be sharing a healthy habit or wellness habit to practice that will help you manage stress, eat better or be a little kinder to yourself. Let's get started...
1st Day Of Fitmas My Practitioner Told Me – Drink 3 Litres Of Water Each Day
Just plain water? Yes that's right. Water is an essential nutrient and one that is most often overlooked. When you start to become dehydrated your mood can sour, you're less equipped to deal with stress (and nagging, bored kids) and can leave your brain in a fog when you actually need to it be firing on all cylinders to get you through the day. So aim to drink 3 litres every day (more if you're enjoying a few vinos). Small sips of cold water can help reduce anxiety (splash some on your face too), boost your mood and clear your head.
2nd Day Of Fitmas My Practitioner Told Me – Eat More Fruits & Veggies
With all the high sugary foods on offer this time of year, it is easy to forget to eat enough nutrient-rich foods. For many of us, we're dining at other people's houses and cannot control the food on offer leaving us open to consuming meals we wouldn't ordinarily indulge in or overdoing it on all the goodies being shared. Whether its peer pressure and wanting to keep the peace with in-laws, too tempting to resist family favourites, or because we've had a few cocktails and we're mindlessly snacking, its inevitable we'll eat more during the holidays.
So the best advice I can give you, is to make sure you are eating well at home where you can control your consumption and the quality of foods. Up your veggie intake with leafy greens and other high fibre vegetables to make up at least 50% of your plate. Give your body a hearty dose of essential vitamins and minerals by eating more low carb berries, high fibre apples and pears. When dining out or at friends houses, first fill your plate with whatever fresh or steamed veggies are on offer, then pair it with a lean protein source.
3rd Day Of Fitmas My Practitioner Told Me – Swap It & Say No To Junk
Cake, biscuits, lollies, pies, donuts, liqueurs and peppermint mochas, oh my! Since I am against dieting and restrictions, don't deprive yourself, but DO try replacing an unhealthy treat with a much healthier option. If there is chocolate on offer, find the dark chocolates which usually have less sugar and flavourings. If you are salivating for the cake or pie, have it, but only a few bites and really savour each mouthful. Make that bite last and become mindful of the rich flavour.
When you are craving a sweet treat, reach for nuts and fruit which provides a hint of sweet with a balance of protein and healthy fats. There is usually something you can do or swap that will satisfy without sacrificing your hard work before the holidays.
SHOP NOW
RELATED: Browse Infused Water Recipes
4th Day Of Fitmas My Practitioner Told Me – Dance Baby, Dance!
Today, I want you to get up and dance. Do it with the kids to their favourite top 40 hits and just get super silly with them. This is such a fabulous stress reliever and can reset not just your mood, but also the kids as well. Spontaneously dance with your husband to a romantic tune or round up your equally stressed out mummy friends and have a few laughs over mimicking the latest TikTok dances (even if you're all super clumsy). Just get moving in a super fun way to hep burn off some of the extra holiday cheer you may be enjoying.
5th Day Of Fitmas My Practitioner Told Me – Do A Home Workout
Ohhh it's already Day 5 and today I am challenging you to complete my December Fitness Calendar. Its a totally free home workout for any fitness level and one I share each and every month. You can download it here, and in the holiday December issue, I purposely created a simple walking fitness program (I am a certified Personal Trainer) that is perfect for when you have indulged too much and need a little help with digestion.
Just wait 30 minute after eating, then round up some family members and go for a walk using the exercises from the Fitness Calendar. You can do this all month to keep on track with your wellness goals. Be sure to share it with your mummy friends and come join the Wellness Group to share your experience...there is heap of additional support to be found in there!
GRAB IT!
6th Day Of Fitmas My Practitioner Told Me– Make Yourself A Nutritious Meal
During the holidays, it can become a challenge to find the time to cook at home and be more choosy. So today I am pushing you to make an effort and prepare a nourishing, home-cooked meal. What you choose to make doesn’t have to be complicated, but do try making it from scratch with only wholefood ingredients. You can find inspiration right here on the blog by browsing my recipes or on my Pinterest account.
Wholefoods are densely nutritious and will help you feel satiated for longer while improving gut health, energy and even your mood.
7th Day Of Fitmas My Practitioner Told Me– Reduce Stress
Whoohoo! We're halfway through the challenge, and today is all about reducing stress. And there’s no better way to get through the holidays than practicing a little self-care to help you do just that. One way I enjoy doing this that literally takes me seconds, it to inhale some healing oils. Apart from smelling absolutely amazing, essential oils can work some serious magic on your mood, energy levels and overall well-being to help you regain emotional control with life throws you lemons. Just a few whiffs or a dab can quickly derail run-away emotions, anxiety, and help bring you back to a more centred space.
Three of my favourite essential oils to help unwind and destress are Lemongrass, Lemon and Lavender used as a trio blend like this one. These three essential oils can help alleviate stress, clear the mind and uplift mood. You can use them together in a room diffuser, mini mister diffuser like this one, or as a blended oil in a rollerball applied on your wrists. Vetiver oil is another essential oil that has been used to help treat anxiety, runaway emotions and even ADHD with its earthy, grounding properties.
Two of my other favourite recommendations are Jasmine oil, which soothes ragged nerves and may help you with depression. Tangerine oil which is like a sensory refresher for the mind and can also help reduce symptoms of anxiety and depression. You can find a full list of my recommended anxiety and calming, emotional destressing oils here.
DESTRESS WITH ESSENTIAL OILS
RELATED: Browse All Essential Oils Posts
8th Day Of Fitmas My Practitioner Told Me– Ditch The Sugary Beverages
Whether its colas, juices, sugary iced lattes, or even honey in your tea, I challenge you to swap at least one of these out for a less sugary option. Sugar in liquid drinks is so quickly absorbed by the body and while it may give you a boost of energy, inevitably you will come crashing down. Having a second or third latte or frapp is no way to reduce your stress. In fact, bouncing up and down from sugar highs can make thing worse.
Make sure you are eating balanced meals and keeping fully hydrated with 3 litres of water per day. Swap out that sugary drink for an infused water recipe instead. This will give you a drip-feed of micro nutrients while satisfying thirst. Remember from Day 1, I mentioned that dehydration can and will tank your mood and make you feel even more on edge and stressed. Instead, try a herbal tea (sweetened with stevia if you must), infused water made with naturally sweet berries, watermelon or kiwi, or even mineral water with a twist of lemon or lime. You can find heaps of recipe on my Pinterest account or on the blog here.
9th Day Of Fitmas My Practitioner Told Me– Don't Eat Your Feelings
When things in Life go pear-shaped, how do you usually handle it? I think its fair to say we've all drowned our sorrows in a tub of ice cream, greasy burger or pizza at least once to twice. But if this is your go to response to holiday stress, its time to stop eating your feelings and start loving your body more.
In order to stop eating your feelings, you need to adopt new ways of self soothing and learn to how to stop yourself. This is something I teach regularly in my clinic; trust me when I say it can be done. The best way is to focus on positive, non-food ways to manage your emotions instead of reaching for Ben & Jerry's cookie dough or those chocolates.
So for the challenge, I want you to write down a few activities that you really enjoy, ones that help you feel good about yourself and boost a bad mood. Write them down as they come to mind. Set a reminder in your phone with your little list and make it pop up when you know you do most of your emotional eating. This is usually mid afternoon or in the evening for most people. practice one of your suggestions instead of using food for comfort.
GRAB IT!
10th Day Of Fitmas My Practitioner Told Me– Self-Care Journal
Earlier in spring, I wrote a quick read on practicing self-care and showing yourself more kindness in ten easy ways. When you are under pressure and stressed out, it is so important to give yourself some grace and slow down. Most people when overloaded just aren't as efficient, and staying in a high stress state can be so detrimental to your well-being.
Today I am giving you permission to have a time out. Take a break. Seek some solace to just BE and recharge. You serve no one well when you are operating from a frazzled state of emotions. Stop for a few minutes and breathe. Go lie down and have a micro nap even if you just lay there in silence and let the rush of the season go.
One wonderful way to take good care of yourself during the holidays it to keep a self-care journal. In it, you can take stock of how you're coping and tune into your own needs. Ask yourself what it is you need right now? Is it more help with the planning, the kids, the present shopping and wrapping. Figure out what would make a difference for you right now and be bold, ask for it!
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11th Day Of Fitmas My Practitioner Told Me – Positive Affirmations
The power of positive thinking is nothing short of incredible. You can turn around even the darkest mood by using self-empowering affirmations. Whether you choose to listen to them, write them down or recite them in front of the mirror, today's challenge is to make some positive statements to help de stress and boost you up. I love self-help guru Louise L Hay for this. I was given her book, You Can Heal You Life when I was 14 years old and the title totally lived up to its name!
12th Day Of Fitmas My Practitioner Told Me– Rinse & Repeat
Whoop! Whoop! We're on the 12th Day of Fitness, and on this final last day, I challenge you to write down how your experience has been following this. Were you able to keep up with all or did Life get in the way? If not, keep the challenge going by going back to which ever days you missed and try again.
Just because this challenge was for the holidays, doesn't mean you can't reuse this challenge over and over again whenever you feel overwhelm and stressed out. Bookmark this post and set yourself up for success with a few reminders in your phone.
Healthy takes many different wellness habits practiced daily to add up to living your best self. My hope is that this challenge has helped you ease through the stress of the holidays a little better than in previous years. Keep it going!
Healthy + happiness,
Emma Lisa xx
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