11 Ways to Keep from Going Overboard This Season

I’ve been focusing on staying sane this season – not going overboard by spending too much, doing too much, eating too much. You know.

If you read my Boundary post, you’ll also know that I’m working on keeping my own boundaries intact, and this effort gets stretched during the holiday season. (If you didn’t, it’s here, and there’s a free PDF you can download to fill in and mark boundaries).

So here are some tips that have helped me to stay sane this season, gathered all in one place … for you!

TIPS FOR THE BODY

1. Have a battle plan

Sarah, from Must Have Mom gives a few tips for staying on track with diet and fitness goals during the holiday. My favorite is having a plan for snack portion sizes (with a link to a Weight Watchers guide for that), and also bringing your own healthy substitute to share at holiday gatherings.  (She has a link to a healthy version of Jalapeño Poppers that looks amazing).

By the way, you also have a chance to win a Garmint Vivofit by clicking over. And no – nothing in this post is sponsored. Just stuff I find helpful. 🙂

2. Take a nap

I used to take naps regularly, long after my children needed them. I’m thankful to have enough energy these days that I don’t often need a nap. But there are times when I can see that it’s the thing that will give me the pick-up I need later on to care for my kids and tackle my responsibilities. If you feel like you’ve reached your limit, fluff up your pillow and kick back!

3. Take iron or magnesium I’m no doctor. You know that. So don’t follow this advice without using your own common sense (or asking for a doctor’s opinion). But sometimes I’m so drained I forget that my iron levels are generally low and it’s been awhile since I’ve taken an iron supplement. I usually figure it out when I’m like a snowman in June and can barely pick up one foot to put it in front of the other. It doesn’t take much for me to see a difference when I start taking supplements again.

Last week I didn’t go to the gym at all. Once I drove all the way there, and at the roundabout turned around and came back home. I was just so tired. However, after only a couple days of iron, and I feel ready to go back to the gym and do damage control with the holiday eating.

I mention magnesium too because French pharmacies stock up in the fall in preparation for the holidays (and reduced sunlight?). If you’re feeling stressed, magnesium can sometimes do wonders to restore an equilibrium. I’ve seen that firsthand in my own life.

4. Take fiber If you decide to take iron supplements, you’re probably going to need it. 😉  Sometimes I overeat because I don’t feel great. Everything is sluggish and, well, simply not moving. Fiber gets the pipes flowing (sorry – this is crude for me, isn’t it)? As a result I feel lighter and more inclined to eat healthy.

5. Drink water

Again, speaking from personal example – water does wonders. It restores energy, clear thinking, and good digestion. I’m not generally a big fan of bottled water because of the environment, but every once in awhile I find that I need a “cure.” I’ll buy a six-pack of water because it gets me drinking at least 1.5 litres a day, which is just what I need to get back into the habit. Even better if it’s Contrex (or something similar), which contains magnesium and calcium. I see results as early as the next day.

6. Remake healthier versions of holiday treats

There’s my gluten-free pecan sandies, which are at least lower in fat and higher in fiber. But there are even healthier recipes out there:

I found some good substitute cookie recipes on Amy’s Healthy Baking, such as chocolate chip gingerbread oatmeal (that’s a mouthful). Seriously … I would like a mouthful. Or cranberry jam thumbprint cookies. Or triple chocolate peppermint cookies. Sigh. You better just head over there and read everything she writes.

TIPS FOR THE HOME

Yes, nothing makes me as happy as walking on freshly mopped floors. Or seeing no clutter (or dust) on the shelves that we’re about to decorate. But if I had to pick one thing that makes a huge difference in keeping me from going overboard during the holidays, it’s this:

7. Clean the fridge

When you clean your refrigerator, you can actually find the fresh fruits and vegetables. They’re right there staring at you, saying, “eat me! eat me! Je suis délicieuse!

Also, I know what I have so I don’t overspend on things I don’t need. And I find it easier to get inspired for healthy, well-balanced meals, rather than throwing some pasta in the pot and adding butter and cheese.

TIPS FOR THE BUDGET

It’s a toss-up whether my health or my pocketbook suffers this most from seasonal excess. So I clearly need to address both. For my children’s gifts, I keep a piece of paper with three columns (one for each) and try to find matching gifts price-wise so I know what I’ve bought and am keeping an eye on equality. This also helps me not to over-buy because I’m afraid they won’t have enough. (No, I’m not proud of that line of thought).

But there are other things you can do.

8. Make homemade gifts

I like making soap (although it’s a bit too late for this Christmas – I plan to make it as thank you gifts for the teachers). I also like making homemade cookie recipes – the dry ingredients plus instructions – French friends love that.

Chrysa from Thrifty Jinxy also has two recipes here. One for kids, and one for adults: peppermint play-do and lemon sugar scrub. Both are super easy to make. And there are 25 more ideas here, including adorable button bookmarks!

9. Start Early

Danielle from Family Centsability has five tips to reduce the stress of Christmas shopping. It may be too late for a few of them, such as *start early* (even if that is my Number Nine). But even this week is better than December 24th, right? (I know! I’ve done that). And it’s not too late to get most gifts delivered from online purchases if you order this week.

TIPS FOR THE HEART

10. Give to others 

I want to do big gestures – I do! I talked to my friend Danila today and their family went to Paris to help distribute sandwiches, something we haven’t done in way too long.

But I have to remember that little things count too. Last night, I picked up my friend and drove to a neighborhood I don’t know very well, carrying bags of hot food and gifts for a new mom (who is, for some intents and purposes, a single mom). Just because I know and love her doesn’t mean the gesture doesn’t count.

Or, tomorrow we’ve invited a bunch of people over for Christmas decorating and we’ve arranged a way for three kids to come, whose parents are working, so they don’t have to stay home all day on their own.

Do you see what I mean a bit? Sometimes giving comes in small packages, but it can be just as loving as the big powerful gestures.

I know, I know. This is a picture of a “big” gesture. You can do those too! (It was just one of the pictures on Pixabay that caught my eye – and all the photos in this post come from there, apart from my refrigerator).

11. Focus on the spiritual aspect  

When I thought about writing this post, I wasn’t even thinking about the spiritual aspect. (Duh). But then I read Tracie from Traces of Faith, and was inspired by her post, “What Peter Teaches Me About Advent.”

I don’t celebrate Advent, but I like the idea of taking time during the holiday season to remember the bigger, brighter, wider picture than just the here on earth, how fast can my kids rip open their gifts.

Taking the time to focus on God’s beauty and goodness puts everything in perspective real quick.

So anyway, those are my tips. But if I had to choose a summary, I would say:

1. Sleep enough
2. Drink water
3. Take fiber

Take care of you, darling. There’s only one of you.

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