Don’t fear. The holidays do not have to be as stressful as they seem. The key to a healthy holiday is to stop striving and trying and start living.

The best thing you could do for yourself this holiday season is to give up everything you think you need to do and create space to live. This post gives you a quick holiday prescription, including ten things to let go of for a happy and healthy holiday. 

We all want to make this holiday season one to remember and do it with our waistlines in check. The good news is most people don’t gain weight during the holiday season. So don’t let the fear of what ‘could be,’ lead you to self-sabotage yourself into it becoming your reality. 

Remember, your health is not a number. It’s a metric of nourishment.

This holiday season, focus on nourishing yourself over worrying about anything else. Choose to make the most of these fleeting moments that become your best memories instead of worrying about what might move the scale. 

You don’t have to wait to get healthy and happy, but you can start right where you are. Your health is what you do or don’t do right now. Let this be your healthy holiday prescription, permitting you to let go of these ten things to create a healthy holiday (and live happily).

Your Holiday Prescription:

Let Go Of These 10 Things For A Healthy Holiday

01: Don’t stress over one meal.

One meal will never make or break you. Yes, you may overeat. We all do it from time to time. But eating two or three big meals throughout the holidays is not a problem. It’s what you do consistently. Don’t fear the big meal or try to restrict yourself. Deprivation only makes matters worse. Pay attention to your body, eat what you enjoy and let go of the restriction. Worry less about how you’ve fallen off the wagon of health and pay more attention to regaining balance when you do.

02: Don’t skip breakfast to save calories.

In the grand scheme of how your body works, calories don’t matter. At least not in the way you’ve been led to believe. What your body does with calories is not based on the quantity but on what type and when you eat them.

Calories consumed in the morning metabolize more quickly and efficiently. Plus, breakfast provides the energy your body needs to thrive, decreasing your cravings and hunger for the rest of the day. As they say, how you start your day is how you finish it. No matter what, eat breakfast.

03: Don’t waste time food shaming.

Food shame is a real problem during holiday gatherings. There will always be at least one family member who loves to focus on people’s weight or what diet is or isn’t working. Don’t play this game. Don’t let these negative spirals fill your mind. And certainly, don’t fill your plate according to how you think other people are judging you. There should be no judgment around our bodies or food, and the only way that ends is to stop giving it attention. 

04: Don’t let a scarcity mindset win – it will always lead you to overeat.

Most of us don’t have food scarcity issues but a scarcity mindset. The difference is food isn’t scarce, but your belief about food is. Unfortunately, this allows food to become a problem it was never intended to be.

In scarcity, there is no control. The best way to eat less is not to restrict but to choose. Let yourself choose what you eat and how much. The more you tell yourself you can’t have something, the more energy you give yourself to want it, and the more likely you are to eat it. Don’t let scarcity control your decisions. It never ends well.

05: Don’t skimp on sleep.

Sleep is the reset of your energy level. When you have a low-functioning energy pattern, you’ll always desire more food because food can be a powerful tool for gaining energy. Better sleep patterns always lead to healthier energy, meaning you need less food.

Make sure you are sleeping well during the holidays. If not, those sugar cookies will always be calling your name. Getting an extra 30-minutes of sleep before the big day could cut your cravings in half.

06: Don’t live with the ‘who cares’ mindset because you’ve decided to start in January.

There is nothing special about January 1st. We know this, even though we secretly keep hoping this is the year things will be different. But you don’t need to wait until January because you have everything you need to start right now.

Health is inside of you. It’s not a plan or resolution but a way of life. A way of life that happens when you show up for yourself, acting based on how you want to feel, not how you currently feel. If you want to feel strong, confident, light, and energized, do something that makes you feel that way. Keep showing up. The only day that matters to your health is today.

07: Don’t set unrealistic expectations.

On some level, we all set expectations. It’s a form of control over the future that gives us temporary peace. Setting expectations is normal, but it doesn’t mean it’s healthy. Unmet expectations are why so many people quit, as they lead to a sense of failure and the action of self-sabotage.

Be aware of the expectations you consciously or subconsciously set. If you have them, make sure they are realistic and sustainable. Better said, filter them before you accept them.

08: Don’t compare diet programs.

Comparison is easier than ever, especially with the perfectly filtered social media channels where everyone touts their best life. But we all know the reality. Nothing is ever as perfect as it seems. 

Comparison is nothing more than a distraction keeping you stuck focusing on external things when healing and health happen internally. Instead of focusing on other people, pay attention to how you feel. The less energy you waste on someone else’s filtered life or perfect diet program, the more energy you have to invest back into energizing yourself. Keep your eyes fixed on things that fill you, not those that tear you down.

09: Don’t beat yourself up.

Your entire biology runs on your mindset. Every word you speak, even if no one hears it, has a biological impact. So much so that what you think about the food you eat changes what your body does with it. Whether you enjoy it, which releases it, or fear it, which stores it. Every word you speak changes your perspective, and your perspective controls your biology. Be kind to yourself.

Throw a few nice words at yourself when you catch a glimpse in the mirror. Take the compliment your sister offers. Celebrate the small wins inside your head when you opt out of comparison, and celebrate your wins. Your mindset matters more than anything, don’t neglect it, no matter how minute it seems.  

10. Don’t do it all.

There is something perfect about embracing imperfection. There is something beautiful when you allow people to come into your home that still feels like a home, not a magazine picture. Something beautiful happens when you ask for help instead of doing it all.

This year, break up with the idea that you can do it all and step into the beauty of not trying to do it all. Let the dishes sit, and enjoy the company. Play the game, go on the walk, sit down with everyone else and eat. This year slow down and stop striving. The secret to happiness is to stop trying and start living. Whatever you want, live it.

Cheers to a happy and healthy holiday!

Enjoy the season knowing that health is inside of you. It’s not there to sabotage you but to help you enjoy every perfectly imperfect moment. You have what you need. Choose to live it out, taking action based on how you want to feel, regardless of how you currently feel.  

The holidays will always be imperfect, messy, and chaotic, but you don’t have to let those emotions win. Whatever you want them to be, show up and live it regardless.