It’s fall, and the holiday season is just around the corner and once again, everyone is getting prepared for one of the most manic times of year. We want to help you stay on track this holiday season by giving you 7 tips for healthier holiday parties.
It’s too easy to indulge and overburden ourselves with excess, all the excitement has our energy levels peaked and we’ll probably be throwing and attending multiple parties with lavish amounts of food, people and yes, alcohol!
It is therefore always a good idea to remain mindful of our physical and mental health by taking steps to ensure that we don’t overdo it.
After all, when the holiday season has been and gone we’ll be left to pick up the pieces and the less pieces there are to pick up, the easier it will be for us to get back on track for the start of the New Year.
14 Tips for a Better Holiday Season
Tip 1 – Take a Time Out
When things start to get a bit overwhelming, and they will, make sure that you take some time-out for yourself to relax and unwind. This is very important for your mental wellbeing, because large amounts of stress can cause anxiety and disease and we want you to remain as healthy and happy as possible at this time of year.
Take some time to relax by the fire, go outdoors to get some fresh air, exercise or take a nice hot bath with essential oils to relax your mind and body. Drop in to the local spa and grab a massage in between gift shopping.
Tip 2 – Prepare in Advance
It is human nature to procrastinate and put things off to the last minute. Do it different this year by getting everything possible done early. There are many things that can be done in advance, including gift shopping, yard work, heavy cleaning of the home and kitchen in preparation for guests, decluttering areas of your home to make it easier to decorate, organizing decorations and preparing recipes and menus, are just a few.
Tip 3 – Get Help
Get help for all your choirs by engaging the family. Cleaning, shopping, party prep, getting the house ready for overnight friends and family, holiday decorations and the like should never be a one man or woman job. Get the kids to help, if it is affordable hire someone to help. You won’t be sorry!
Tip 4 – Prioritize to Maintain Your Sanity
Hectic seems to have become a synonym for the holidays, as we run around like chickens with our heads cut off trying to get everything done. Take a different viewpoint this year and prioritize. Surely, there are things on your list that you don’t really need to do. Keep the biggies, and ditch the rest.
Tip 5 – Meditate
Meditation is known to calm the mind and provide inner peace no matter how stressful or hectic your life may become. This is the perfect practice during the hectic holiday season and may actually save you from significant effects that stress has on the mind and body.
Tip 6 – Schedule and Organize: Lists Will Save You
Keep a list of all you have to do and schedule these things onto a calendar. This allows you to see all that is in front of you and saves you from having to keep it all organized in your mind, this gives you so much piece of mind. You will never feel scrambled, as you will be organized and be able to see all your chores right there in front of you.
Additionally having a running list with a clear cut schedule in front of you allows you to prevent overwhelm, because you can plainly see what you need to do, and assess whether or not it is too much within the given time frame.
We live in a digital age, so you can choose to ditch old school pen and paper, as there are many organizational apps and smartphone calendars where you can set alerts for various activities so you are sure to never overlook something. This is hands-free organization at its best.
Tip 7 – Have Fun!
How often have the holidays become a maze of chores where you forget to have fun? This is supposed to be a fun time that includes spending time with friends and family.
So be mindful of this, and ask yourself, are you having fun? If not, make changes so that you are, this is again a consideration where you need to prioritize what is important to you. Remember, life is short, and the holidays should be a happy time with family and friends!
Save Your Health
Tip 8 – Under-Indulge
Be mindful of the amount of food you eat and the amount of alcohol you drink. If you can keep a close eye on these two things you’ll ensure that you don’t over-burden your body or adversely affect your health.
It can be very fun at this time of year to have a few drinks with your family and friends, but try to remind yourself that if you over-indulge you’re certainly going to pay for it the next day, or for the next few days, as the case may be.
Tip 9 – The Great Outdoors
Spend as much as you time as you can outdoors in nature, where you will have space to breathe and feel the wind on your skin. If the weather permits try to throw your parties outdoors or at least spend part of the day outdoors.
It’s amazing how invigorating it can be just being outside even if it’s only for five minutes. Feeling the wind and the sun on your skin has the ability to refresh and revitalize your mind and give your thoughts time to settle just enough so that your festive mind can have a break.
Tip 10 – Serve Healthy Food
Everyone knows by now that healthy food can be delicious if it is prepared properly and with enough care and attention. Avoid serving too many dishes and spice things up with a few light and delicious dishes that your guests will love the taste of.
Healthy food actually makes you feel better and your guests will be thanking you for it when they feel alive enough to party on into the night, instead of feeling as if they need to go to sleep straight after dessert.
There are many ways to cut calories and healthier alternatives for traditional Thanksgiving favorites, start researching recipes so you can plan and organize your menus early on.
Tip 11 – Go Slow on the Alcohol
Another mistake that many people make at this time of year is starting too early and going too hard on the alcohol. Yes, obviously most people are going to drink at this time of year, in fact most people are going to drink, a lot!
So as a tip to help everybody out, don’t serve any alcohol until late afternoon, say 5 o’clock if you can. Doing this will ensure that people won’t be drunk before dinner is served and everyone will be on the same level rather than having half the party drunk and half the party sober.
Tip 12 – Encourage Physical Activities
There are hundreds of fun games to play with your friends and family that encourage them getting up and moving about. This will help them to remain alert and awake, rather than sitting around just drinking and feeling lethargic.
Encourage people to get up and have fun, tell them to leave their drinks alone for 20 minutes while everyone plays a game together and they’ll find afterwards that they feel more alert and energized.
Take a long walk after every party and dinner. This is especially useful for those who go to multiple parties where food and drink goes straight to the waistline.
Tip 13 – Serve Small Nibbles, Not Big Meals
By serving people small bites every couple of hours, instead of big meals, they will better be able to feel alert and alive at your parties. Everyone knows eating big meals, and especially while drinking alcohol at the same time, will make you feel tired and lethargic.
Serving small bites to everyone so they can have a little to eat now and a little to eat later will ensure that everyone’s energy levels stay at maximum capacity.
Tip 14 – Make It About Fun, Not Food!
Taking the focus off the food and placing it onto the fun will ensure that people don’t over indulge. Sure, you have to put effort into the food you serve, but make sure you put even more effort into the festivities of the party.
People will really remember the amount of fun that they had and this will leave them with happy and long-lasting memories of the time that they had at your party.
This is great for everyone’s mental wellbeing and there’s nothing more pleasant than being surrounded by good friends and close family when everyone has a great big smile on their face and there is constant laughter exploding from all around.
