How to reset your wellness routine after the holidays
For anyone who fell off track during the holidays, this one’s for you.
Whether you struggled to find time for movement, ate more sweets than you planned, or fell back into old habits that you thought you had kicked… I want you to know that it’s completely normal. Most of us leave the holiday season feeling a bit ungrounded and out of sync, and that’s okay. With so much business and chaos around this time of year, health and wellness is naturally going to take a backseat.
The key is to let go of perfection - there’s no need to punish yourself or get discouraged. A week of indulgence only spirals out of control when we fret about it and make it mean something that it doesn’t. Remember, the only way to find balance is to know when you’ve lost it, and everybody falls out of sync sometimes. So give yourself a break and read on for some encouraging and inspiring tips to reset after a long holiday.
Tips to reset and prioritize self care after a long holiday:
1. Gently reintroduce exercise. If it’s been awhile since you’ve exercised, start small. Avoid those annual bootcamp-style challenges and aim to just get yourself up and moving, even if it’s the bare minimum. Remember, when you lose a habit, the goal in the beginning is not to go full force. The goal is to simply re-establish the habit. When you bite off more than you can chew, that’s when you burn out and fall off the wagon again. Once the habit is established, then you can gradually increase intensity. That’s how you’ll make it stick!
4. Prioritize Sleep. Whether it’s because you stayed up late chatting with siblings, woke up early to the sound of mom making breakfast, or slept in the family guest room with a less-than-ideal mattress, it’s likely that your sleep routine took a back seat over the last couple of weeks. If that resonates, focus on getting your sleep back on track this week. Establish a consistent bedtime routine, create a calming evening ambiance, limit screen time before bed, and aim for 7-9 hours of quality sleep each night. I’m a big fan of supplementing with magnesium, one of the most important nutrients for sleep that most people don’t get enough of. I also recommend aligning with your circadian rhythm by rising with the sun and falling asleep shortly after the sun goes down. Going to sleep with the sun will, of course, get easier as the days start to get longer. For more tips on better sleep, check out my go-to sleep routine.
5. Focus on hydration. If you’re like most people, you probably weren’t thinking much about water over the holidays… but it’s important to give your body the hydration it needs to flush out any toxic build up that may have accumulated over the last couple of weeks. Opt for water, herbal teas, and electrolytes over the next few days to get your hydration back on track so you can feel your best. This simple step will do wonders for your gut health and support your livers natural detoxification processes.
6. Digital Detox. Pick a day of the week, like Sundays, to unplug from social media and be present. This will help you feel mentally clear, reduce cortisol, improve sleep, and give your brain a much needed break from constant stimulation. Use this time for activities that bring joy and relaxation, or to focus on your passion projects.
7. Focus on gut health. Instead of hopping on the dieting trends that often come to the surface during this time of year, make 2024 the year that you prioritize your gut health with well-balanced meals that include protein, carbs and fat, plenty of fiber, pro + prebiotics, natural sugar sources, and lots of colorful fruits and vegetables. These long term changes are so much more sustainable than trendy diets and will leave you feeling good from the inside out.
8. Mindfulness and Meditation. Speaking of gut health, stress is one of the biggest factors that influences the health of our gut flora. Integrating mindfulness practices and meditation into your daily routine can help you lower cortisol levels so that your GI tract can thrive. Mindfulness techniques also enhance mental clarity and focus, which will help you with any big goals or visions you have for 2024. Just like anything else, incorporating mindfulness into your routine works best when you start very small: 5 minutes of guided meditation each day is a great place to begin. I love using apps like Insight Timer to find all sorts of guided meditations for any length of time.
9. Set intentions, not goals. There’s nothing wrong with being goal-oriented, but as humans we often over estimate and bite off much more than we can chew when we’re setting our goals, especially goals for an entire year. This often leaves us feeling defeated when we don’t reach that milestone or SMART goal that we set for ourselves at the beginning of the year. Instead of new years goals, I like to set an intention for the year: 1 word or phrase that encompasses how I want my year to feel and what I want to attract more of. Where goals feel strict and rigid, an intention is much more flexible and acts as the North Star for how you want to live your life. For example, my intention this year is to embrace slowness and simplicity. I know that I feel my best when I can slow down and appreciate what’s right in front of me, so no matter where I am throughout the year, I can always come back to this intention when I feel ungrounded or out of sync.
10. Reduce inflammation. With all the richness that surrounds the holidays, it’s common for our bodies to feel a little bit inflamed. Fatigue, bloating, puffiness, redness and digestive issues are all symptoms that come along with too much inflammation in the body. Choose anti-inflammatory foods like omega-3 fatty acids, antioxidants, and whole, nutrient dense foods where possible. Support lymphatic drainage with dry brushing, gua sha, or a deep tissue massage. Reduce skin puffiness with morning ice rolling or a facial ice bath. If possible, reduce alcohol or remove it altogether for a period of time (hello Sober Jan) to allow your body to come down from high inflammation levels. For more tips on living an anti-inflammatory lifestyle, read here.
11. Get inspired. There’s no denying that sometimes self care just doesn’t feel all that exciting… but it’s important to remember that taking care of yourself can be fun, joyful and exciting! Some ideas could be booking yourself a wellness retreat, buying yourself a new workout outfit, traveling to some place you’ve never been and learning about their wellness rituals, trying a new workout class with your friends, establishing a morning walk routine with your partner, booking a massage or facial… It’s easy to get stuck in the monotony and lose motivation, so find ways to feel excited about your health again.
I hope these tips help you feel invigorated and encouraged to prioritize self care and reset your wellness routine. Remember that guilt does nothing for you, and indulgence over the holidays is a part of life. It’s your everyday lifestyle that counts in the end, so focus on making your lifestyle feel good for your mind and body. Shake off any worries about what you did or didn’t do over the last few weeks and allow yourself to get inspired and excited about nourishing your mind & body in 2024.
If you need help reaching your wellness goals this year, don’t forget to check out my 1:1 coaching program here.
Wishing you a healthy & nourishing 2024.
