What is Holiday Balance, Anyways?

During the holiday season there are about fifteen billion demands on our time. Work heats up, travel plans enter, and calendars are filled with parties. It’s the most wonderful time of the year, supposedly, but often it feels entirely overwhelming and stressful instead of peaceful and joyful. What gives?

I’ve recently been selected as a FitFluential Ambassador and this week we were challenged to write about five tips for achieving holiday balance. Part of me laughed when I said this, because I’ve often been an example of exactly WHAT NOT TO DO. But I do try—balance is elusive yet always worth striving for—and here are five ways I’m trying to do that.

1. You can do many things, but you can’t do everything.

In other words: PRIORITIZE. I had four holiday parties on my calendar last week—I made it to one. Sure, I would have liked to go to all of them, but by party #3 I would have been an exhausted and irritable mess, so I had to be able to say no. There are non-miss events this season, of course, but don’t feel compelled to cram your calendar with events if it means not getting enough sleep, not getting any exercise and feeling stretched too thin. You aren’t going to be able to kick ass at your job, work out two hours a day, host events AND be a social butterfly this season—if you are, you aren’t human. Figure out what’s most important to you and work from there.

2. You booze, you lose.

I’m going to be honest, I love a champagne buzz as much as the next girl who’s in a too-short dress and heels that would be sexy if only she can walk in them. We all know that watching your alcohol intake is important, but I find it especially so at this time. You risk either 1) throwing your healthy mindset out the door along with your inhibitions, or 2) trying to “save calories” by eating less. This could results in you being five margaritas down at your office party while eating a grand total of three chips for dinner, and destroying what shreds of dignity you had left. I am not saying this happened to me. But suffice it to say, I’m watching the alcohol for these next few weeks. Nothing good happens.

3. Make a plan! And a plan B. And C. And D…

One thing I’m working on over the holidays is to actually make sure I don’t miss working out. Because Lord knows I plan to eat my weight in Christmas cookies, so I should at least burn a FEW of them off! A good way to make sure this happens is to lug a 15-pound gym bag along with you ALL DAY, because you live in a city of public transport and thus have nowhere to put it. Sometimes I’ll end up working out after work just so it wasn’t a waste for me to carry that damn bag everywhere.

On the planning side, I’ve got an Excel document open on my laptop where I’m tracking my food, workouts, and (wait for it) money spent on a daily basis. Not super detailed, but just enough to remind me that I NEED to get some exercise today, that I need to stay accountable for my food choices, and, most importantly, so I can’t ignore the fact that I just spent $19 on a grilled cheese restaurant until the credit card bill comes along.

4. Do something incredibly cheesy to soak in the holiday spirit—with someone you love.

Whatever holiday you may celebrate, there’s so much holiday joy around you. It may come in the form of crowded streets and more crowded stores, with some tacky lighting thrown in, but still. Living in San Francisco, I’m lucky enough to be surrounded by all kinds of holiday cheese. Ice skating in Union Square, taking a holiday Cable Car tour, visiting the gingerbread house at the Fairmont… doing something you can’t do every month is a nice way to take a break from the madness, even if it’s just grabbing an eggnog latte with a good friend. Or decorate your cubicle with glitter and pass out candy canes to your coworkers. Whatever makes you happy.

My parents’ neighborhood does luminaries, which is a great holiday tradition every Christmas Eve. Don’t have any holiday traditions? Make this year be the one you start one!

5. Give yourself a (*$(@! Break.

We all know perfection is not possible. Walk into a party intending to eat nothing and a dozen cookies disappear. Plan to be in bed by nine PM every night and you’re burning the midnight oil for no apparent reason. It HAPPENS. And it’s okay. Meet yourself where you’re at. Have fun, enjoy anything you want to, get caught up in the holiday spirit. Accept that there are things you won’t get done, gifts you’ll forget to buy, holiday cookies you’ll burn, or Christmas cards you won’t send out to February. You know what? IT’S OKAY. No one will die. Take a step back, know that things will work out, and don’t attempt perfection. Strive for somewhere happily in the middle.

Take a deep breath, remember that the holidays aren’t supposed to be about THIS—they’re not supposed to be about stress, parties, indulgences. They are supposed to be about spending time with your loved ones, and thinking about what truly matters—regardless of what you may believe in. The hoopla is fleeting, but any memories you make with people who matter will stick with you for much longer,

And this is how I plan to survive the next two weeks.

Have a great day everybody!

Courtney

How do you stay balanced over the holidays?

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