That’s right — thrive! Don’t just survive. Surviving means… Instead decide to thrive and thoroughly enjoy the holiday cheer. How? Choose the eat mindfully, move your body, get your beauty sleep and smile at everyone. Then you will have an energetic and healthy Christmas season.
Tweetable: Eat, dance, dream and smile your way to a fabulous Christmas season. 
Eat Mindfully
Limit sugar, dairy and gluten and you’ll experience more energy. Many traditional Christmas goodies have all three in varying amounts. Sugar is known to block your immune system for several hours after ingesting. You know the candy canes, chocolate treats, egg nog and such just aren’t’ doing your health or waistline any good. Make some wise swaps and you’ll be golden. Gluten can be difficult to digest, especially if you are stressed and overeating. Furthermore, gluten has been known to cause inflammation. Generally, you tend to eat more throughout this festive season, which further stresses your digestive system. Instead, choose foods that enhance your immune system and keep those nasty bugs at bay that are so easily passed around at this time of year. Manage your potions. Choose veggies, raw or cooked. Stay hydrated with water. Enjoy conversation over plates of unwanted calories. Scan what’s available and plan accordingly — lean protein, fibre and healthy fats will keep you satiated and happy. Mindfully selecting some holiday favourites keeps you in control and not the other way around.
Dance Like Christmas Elves
Adding movement during the holiday season equates to less “excess” weight to take off in the New Year. Start simple and move your body. Your body will love you and you will improve your sleep too!
Make movement fun by adding some music — that’s right dance! “In a 2008 article in Scientific American magazine, a neuroscientist suggested that synchronizing music and movement—dance, essentially—constitutes a ‘pleasure double play.’ Music stimulates the brain’s reward centres, while dance activates its sensory and motor circuits.”[2] Other studies also support that dance helps reduce stress, increases levels of the feel-good hormone serotonin. [3]
When the music is playing, find a partner and dance away your stress. Or simply go solo and enjoy the beat. I find it invigorating to put on some tunes loudly (okay, usually no one else is home), then jiggle and jive.
Tweetable: Dancing and music give double holiday pleasure.
Dream of Sugar Plums
Sugar plums really can dance in your head and bring sweet dreams. Sleep routine matters, especially during busy and hectic holiday times. Lack of sleep increases your body’s susceptible to eat more sugar, becoming sick and gaining weight. Then add the fact that shorter sleeps are associated with impaired cognitive function. [1] I don’t know about you, but I have enough issues with memory/brain fog without impairing my memory recall further. Then add impaired emotional IQ to the mix…hum…maybe that’s why emotions run high for many of us during the holidays. [4]
Stick to your usual sleep routine as much as possible. Go to bed at your normal time. And get up at your usual time.
Check out these posts on sleep:
Smile and Light Up Someone’s Life
The Christmas season has become complicated and stressful, but you don’t have to let other people’s Grinch-like attitude influence you. Instead you can spread joy with a simple smile for both you and those you smile at.
Did you know that a smile lowers blood pressure, improves mood and reduces stress? That’s right, all that and a smile influences others that see you smile in a positive way. Thus a simple smile can spread joy. In fact, research supports this phenomenon. An experience conducted at the University of Kansas, which investigated “the potential benefits of smiling by looking at how different types of smiling, and the awareness of smiling, affects individuals’ ability to recover from episodes of stress.”[5]
A smile is one way to combat the stress of the holidays. Gratitude is an extension of happiness, but you must decide to practice it every single day. Start by smiling at every clerk and person you come in contact with today. Look people in their eyes and offer a heartfelt smile of gratitude for being themselves. Expect nothing in return — some will smile back, others will avert their eyes, and yet, others will frown at you [they might not be Grinches, although that might be your first impression — maybe they are having an overwhelming day].
What do you do to thrive during the crazy holiday season? Share in the comments below.
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Resources
[1] R Gruber et al, “Short sleep duration is associated with poor performance on IQ measures in healthy school-age children.” http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20156702
[2] Scott Edwards, “Dancing and the Brain,” On the Brain the Harvard Mahoney Neuroscience Institute Letter, http://neuro.hms.harvard.edu/harvard-mahoney-neuroscience-institute/brain-newsletter/and-brain-series/dancing-and-brain
[3] Donna Olmstead, “Studies show mental, physical, emotional benefits of dance,” Albuquerque Journal, Aug 11 2014, http://www.abqjournal.com/443482/news/studies-show-mental-physical-emotional-benefits-of-dance.html
[4] Brenda Goodman, MA, “Lack of Sleep Impairs Emotional IQ,” WebMD Health News, http://www.webmd.com/sleep-disorders/news/20110615/lack-of-sleep-impairs-emotional-iq
[5]“Grin and Bear It! Smiling Facilitates Stress Recovery,” http://www.psychologicalscience.org/index.php/news/releases/smiling-facilitates-stress-recovery.html