There are a lot of people telling us during the holidays to eat less and exercise more. These 8 holiday wellness tips are effective in helping us stay holistically healthy, without obsessing over food and fitness.
For myself and the people I love spending the holidays with, I want our time together to be a time of joyful celebrations, connection, and rest. (NOT a time of guilt, disconnection, or stress!)
Our ability to make the most of the holiday season starts with taking care of ourselves individually! Health involves so much more than just diet and exercise. Let’s also find ways to care for our mental health, stay present with people we love, and feel our absolute best with these holiday wellness tips.
Here are 8 practical holiday wellness tips that will help you can thrive physically, mentally, and emotionally with those you love!
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1. Prioritize alone-time and self-care.
This has been one of the most important holiday wellness tips for me in the last few years. We are all more energized and feel more able to be present with others when we care for ourselves and take intentional time for reflection.
In past years I’ve felt guilty taking any time to be alone when there were lots of family members around who I don’t see often. However, this holiday season I’m choosing to prioritize daily alone time and self-care, because I feel more myself and am honestly a more enjoyable person to be around when I do!
The easiest way for me to practice self-care daily is to take my breakfast or tea into my room in the morning and spend some time reading and journaling. I like to read a couple of passages from the Bible and start out my journaling with something I’m thankful for each day. Journaling helps me stay self-aware, and getting my thoughts and feelings on paper helps me let go of anxieties and stay peaceful.
For more self-care ideas, I’ve written a post on 35 simple ways to practice self-care to refresh your mind, body, and soul.
2. Use propolis to boost your immunity and fight off colds.
The holiday season is unfortunately a prime time for spreading germs and sicknesses. Propolis is a powerful, all natural immune system booster made from bee products! I first learned about it in a podcast episode of That’s So Maven (which I highly recommend!).
You can buy it in spray form and keep it in your bag to have on hand whenever you may need it. If you feel that your immunity may be threatened or if you start feeling the beginning symptoms of a cold, spray it in your mouth daily or multiple times a day, and enjoy the sweet honey-like taste. All you need to do is read a few Amazon reviews of propolis’s incredible effectiveness and you’ll be as eager to use it as I was!
3. Drink apple cider vinegar.
If you want a super easy way to support your digestion during the holidays, this is my #1 tip that helps me a ton!
Some of you may know that I have had multiple food intolerances and a generally sluggish digestive system for several years. During the holidays, while generally eating more than normal including more carbs and sugar, my digestive system tends to suffer and I can feel bloated and lethargic for days.
For the past several months, I’ve been drinking a full glass of warm water with one tablespoon of apple cider vinegar in it first thing each morning. The apple cider vinegar is an amazing aid for digestion. It kick-starts my metabolism and keeps things moving. On days when I can tell my digestion is especially slow, I drink it multiple times a day.
The taste might seem a little pungent at first, but you will get used to it over time. I actually enjoy the taste now.
If you want to read more about apple cider vinegar, check out my post, 3 ways to use apple cider vinegar daily for better health.
4. Drink more tea.
And more water. And less caffeine and alcohol. Honestly, being dehydrated is one of the most debilitating things we can do to ourselves, and it’s kind of pathetic because how hard is it to drink more water? We’ve all heard the stats. Our bodies are nearly 60% water and every process in our bodies requires sufficient water to run properly.
For a lot of people, coffee and alcohol intake skyrockets over the holidays. Caffeine and alcohol can dehydrate our bodies. I’m definitely not saying we shouldn’t have them at all, but the more we drink them, the more water we should be drinking as well.
As I’ve transitioned to drinking less coffee (a challenging process, let me tell you), I’ve been falling more in love with tea! Different tea varieties can have literally hundreds of different health benefits and antioxidants. The options are endless. I’ve written a post on my top 10 favorite herbal (non-caffeinated) teas and their health benefits.
5. Get enough quality sleep.
This is one of the most important of all holiday wellness tips, but also one of the hardest to keep! Kind of like drinking water, this one should be a no brainer, and yet it’s one area of health a lot of us skimp on most. Our health and energy levels are worth prioritizing sleep and maintaining a decent bedtime, even and especially during the holidays. Most adults need 7-8 hours of sleep per night to function optimally.
One of my very favorite hacks for better sleep is my DIY pillow spray with lavender essential oil. I’d highly recommend making some of this for yourself, and taking it with you when you travel. Lavender oil has a naturally soothing effect which helps me fall asleep, especially when I’m away from home. You can find full instructions on how to make a lavender pillow spray DIY in my post. (It only takes three ingredients!)
6. Always have healthy snacks on hand.
This is especially important while traveling. Personally, I get hungry every few hours, and when I’m hungry I have a hard time focusing on anything except how much I want food and how I’m going to get it. I like to always keep a healthy snack or two nearby or in my purse, especially when I’m traveling or out and about. That way I don’t reach for the nearest sugary bar or bag of chips, spend extra money, and feel hungry again 30 minutes later.
My favorite snacks to have on hand are healthy bars, trail mix (which I make myself with nuts, seeds, and raisins), and apples with nut butter. I recently made homemade Larabars for the first time and wrote a post of our favorite homemade Larabars. We tried the salted chocolate chia bars, and they were amazing!
7. Find simple ways to get active.
I personally struggle with motivation to exercise during the holidays. When I’m already scrounging for enough time for self-care and sleep, honestly exercise is often the first thing to go.
Something I’ve realized, though, is that a little movement makes a world of difference, especially when I’m doing a lot of sitting around and eating the rest of the day! It’s crazy cold out here in Ohio, but I still enjoy getting bundled up and going for a walk in the snow. Taking a walk after a big meal is one of the best ways to aid your digestion and stay energized.
I also love doing 10-20 minute yoga videos in the mornings when I don’t have much time. This 20 minute total body yoga workout by Fightmaster Yoga is one of my recent favorites!
8. Don’t be too hard on yourself.
This is the simplest of these holiday wellness tips, but can also be the most difficult!
Give yourself permission to enjoy the holidays. And with that I mean, don’t beat yourself up for eating more or exercising less or getting a little tired of people at one point or another. Allow yourself to rest, silence self-criticizing thoughts, and focus on connecting with the people you love.
4 comments
I loved this post!
I’m so glad! Thanks, Julia 🙂
A lot of plant-based eaters also recommended apple cider vinegar, but I’ve been too scared to try itWell written and very convincing.
Thank you, Alice! You’ve got nothing to lose in giving it a try – the more water you dilute the vinegar in, the less strong the taste will be. You can always start with a teaspoon and work your way up to a tablespoon too. The results are fantastic! 🙂