How to Make it Through the Holidays

As much as we love the holiday season – getting together with family and friends, driving through neighborhoods looking at Christmas decorations, baking cookies, watching “Love Actually” and listening to Christmas music, it can be overwhelming. To increase your chances of getting through the holidays feeling good and renewed, I thought I’d share with you some of my favorite tips.

If you’re traveling by air:

• Check-in from home and print your boarding passes before leaving for the airport
• Put a piece of paper with your name, contact info and the address of where you’re going inside your suitcase in case it gets lost. If your tag somehow comes off, you’ll have a better chance of getting your luggage back this way
  • Make sure your luggage tag has the address of where you’re going – so it will get to you wherever you are
• If you’re checking bags, check them with the skycap at the curb rather than waiting in line at the counter. The $2/bag is well worth it when you save 20 minutes standing in line!
• Take healthy snacks with you for the airport and flight
• Stay hydrated - take an empty water bottle with you to fill up when you’re passed security
• Dress in layers – best way to stay comfortable whether the plane is cold or hot. Plus, a scarf, sweatshirt or sweater can also double as a pillow or added back support in those crummy airplane seats!
• Wipe down your seat, armrests, seatbelt buckle, tray table and anything else you’ll touch around your seat with a disinfecting wipe. Those planes are not cleaned often. We do this on every flight
• If you’re on a long flight, be sure to get up and walk around at least once to keep the blood flowing and stay loose

If you’re traveling by car:

• Pack healthy snacks like whole fruit and nuts. If you have room, pack a small cooler with cut up veggies and yogurt
• While you’ll likely want to get where you’re going as quickly as possible, don’t forget to take a break or two along the way to stretch your legs. I’ve even gone for a quick five minute jog – helps me stay awake (I can fall asleep within 5 minutes of being in a car. 100% true) and gets the blood flowing
• Put together a new playlist to listen to and sing your hearts out! Have fun and let loose!

For everyone:

• Pack your running shoes. To keep on track with your running or workouts, and you can also get your family together to go our for a family jog or walk to get some fresh air!
• If you’re going to a gathering where everyone brings a dish, be the one to volunteer the healthy dish. Easy enough to put together a crudités platter, a spinach salad with clementine or tangerine slices, or roasted root veggies
• Celebrate the season but beware of the eggnog and countless other festive beverages. As much as we wish it to be true – drinks don’t become calorie free during the holiday season. Same goes for sugar cookies
• Be sure to make some time for yourself, especially if you’re going to be with a large group for several days straight when you’re not used to it. When you’re used to personal space it can become overwhelming fast. Easy to do – wake up a little early and head out for a half hour run, find a quiet spot and read that new book you got as a gift for a few minutes, take a mug of hot cocoa out to the porch and enjoy some fresh air. Then you’ll be ready to go back and join the fun!
• Don’t let others’ expectations or personal preferences stress you out. You’re perfectly amazing the way you are – you should be proud of who you are, what you do, and how you do it. The holidays are a time to have fun, relax, celebrate and look forward to the new year ahead. If something starts to get to you, just let it roll off. Life is too short to let little things ruin what otherwise could become great memories

I’m heading into the office tomorrow, I think I’ll be one of like 5 people there. While we aren’t traveling we will be hosting my parents for a few days starting the 26th so of course I’m desperately hoping we have beautiful weather and can be out touring the city while they’re here. A one bedroom apartment can feel like a shoebox quickly and I have a few museum exhibits I want to check off my ‘must see’ list.

If you’re off to your holiday destination or just logging off of the blogosphere for a few days to enjoy family, I hope you have a wonderful time and make memories to last generations! Take care of yourself and the ones you love. That’s really all that matters.

• What are your favorite holiday travel tips?
  • Your turn
• What’s your favorite holiday movie?
  • “White Christmas” is by far my #1 (even though the song “White Christmas” originated in the film “Holiday Inn”) and “Love Actually” is a close second
• Where are you spending the holidays?
  • Right here

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Today’s workout -

• 50 min elliptical
• 3x10 upright row
• 3x10 core twists
• 3x10 hammer curls
• 1x50sec plank
• ab exercises
• stretching