Wow. It is astonishing how quickly this year has flown. We are once again heading into the festive season! No doubt you have earned a bit of Christmas cheer and family fun.

This time of year is a time of celebration, when our social calendars tend to fill up with events. From end-of-year work parties and summer barbecues, to Christmas day, and New Years festivities. It is a jolly season and we all know how good it feels to let your hair down. But be warned! The year can get off to a sluggish and even stressful start if we overdo it.

With so much merry feasting and drinking, it is easy to overindulge. It is also a time when we can get overwhelmed by all the preparation and shopping. We can get ourselves into a tangle, attending multiple events and not having enough down time.

So with this in mind, here are my top tips on getting through the silly season sensibly.

1. Drink in moderation. It’s a great time of year to go out and enjoy yourself. To avoid (or at least reduce) the hangover the next morning, drink one glass of water for every glass of alcohol. If social pressure to drink is any issue, you can even ask for your water to be served in a glass with some soda and a slice of lemon or lime, if you don’t want others to know you’re mixing things up.
2. Have dry days. To help with your stamina over this busy time, pick at least 3 days/nights where you’re not consuming any alcohol. This helps your body recover, giving you the energy to enjoy the next event! Too much alcohol can cloud our thinking and our mood, potentially exacerbating any stresses that come up at Christmas time.
3. Opt for the healthier eating choices. Rather than going for the fried foods and heavy meals, make sure you are still getting lots of fresh fruit and vegetables in your diet every day. Pick a salad over fries, vegetable crudites over corn chips and biscuits, fresh fruit with yoghurt over pudding with cream and custard.
4. Keep up with some form of exercise. With everything else that happens in the lead up to Christmas, it’s easy to slack off on exercise. But it is more important than ever to maintain exercise now. When stress levels increase and we are eating and drinking more, maintaining some sort of exercise helps keep us on track and healthy.
5. Rest and relax. Build in some early nights and time both for yourself and your family across this busy period. If you have time off work, share it with those who make you feel valued and whose company you value. Remember to breath, relax and rest for the new year ahead.
6. Treat yourself. Rather than say yes to every invitation, make sure you find time to fit in the activities that really nourish you. It is Christmas after all, and don’t you deserve the gift of kindness from yourself?

Whatever you decide to do this holiday season, I hope you find fulfillment, connection and happiness. See you in the new year.

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