The holidays are a time of joy, family and delicious food. However, they can also be a source of some not-so-pleasant feelings like stress and even depression. The busyness, never-ending parties, obligations with family and shopping crowds can all add up and become quite overwhelming.

We all know the saying “all things in moderation”. Well, the holiday season leaves little opportunity to implement this rule. Since Halloween, the festivities have been building and will continue to build through the New Year. While it may be fun at first, or in bursts, we can experience “too much of a good thing” throughout the holiday season.

Fear not, we have taken the liberty to put together six tips and tricks to help you avoid the holiday blues while maintaining your health, energy and holiday cheer.

• Stay true to your dedication to good nutrition. This time of year is filled with temptations and routine interruptions but that doesn’t mean you have to lose your focus on wellness. Remember, this is not about sticking to a strict diet or losing weight, it’s about loving and caring for your body and feeling your best this holiday season.The season brings about a variety of decadent desserts that are sure to tempt the strongest willed people. So what do we do? Turn to whole foods that nurture your body and provide it with the nutrients it requires to be its best for you. We are talking about a variety of fresh fruits and vegetables, healthy fats, clean protein, and whole grains.Want to ensure you are getting the nutrients you require? Turn to whole food supplements for an extra boost. Essentials by New Earth is a fantastic solution that provides a variety of much-needed micronutrients and digestive support.When we love our bodies and feed them what they require they perform their best for us. Keep this in mind as you move through the holiday season.
• Move that body. Exercise, it’s free and it comes with a variety of benefits including stress reduction. In fact, research has proven time and time again that working out is one of the best avenues to relieving stress. But it doesn’t stop there. Exercise helps to elevate your mood, sweat out toxins and more.We know, the holiday season is demanding especially when it comes to time. Exercise is easy to skip out on but in order to feel your best it’s necessary. This holiday season, set aside at least 30 minutes a day to move your body. You will be glad you did as the stress begins to melt away.
• Take several time outs. The chaos, the running around, the demand…it all calls for several time outs as you move through the season. No, we are not referring to standing in a corner for a set period of time. Rather, we are referring to a little downtime, a little ‘you time’ to step back, breathe and recharge. This can come in the form of 1-2 minutes of breathing exercises, a daily meditation practice, visualization, a short yoga break or simply some alone time to sit back and relax.When you feel stress coming on or begin to feel overwhelmed throughout the day, turn to one of these exercises, breathe and recenter yourself.
• Set priorities. This is where a “nice to do” and “must-do” list comes in handy. The holidays are demanding and tasks can add up. As these tasks come along categorize them in a “nice to do” bucket and a “must do” bucket. From there, prioritize them by importance. If you don’t get to the “nice to do” list no problem you can rest easy knowing you completed your “must-do” tasks.
• Take the easy route. Don’t be afraid to take a short cut or easy route here and there. If for some reason, everything from sending Christmas cards to making cookies ends up on your “must-do” list, scale back the detail a bit. It may mean that you don’t write a novel on each and every card you send out, it may mean that you only make one or two varieties of cookies this year instead of 10 or it could mean that you buy your veggies pre-chopped this year. If you must do everything, make sure it is manageable and scaling back is a great way to ensure that.
• Schedule it out. You have your list and you know what you need to do, it’s time to make a schedule and your calendar is your best friend. As you fill out your calendar you must be realistic with your time. If your tasks start to overlap and it begins to look a bit cluttered reevaluate your lists. It’s important to start with your highest priority items here. This will ensure the most important items are added to the calendar first which will make it clear what takes priority if there is a scheduling conflict.

Remember, no matter the circumstances or time crunch, you must look after you first. It allows you to be your best self, will help to minimize the added stress of the season, will allow you to enjoy this precious time you have with your loved ones and will allow your loved ones to enjoy you! Happy holidays!