Dragging A$$ lately?

Yea I said it... Merry CHRISTmas

It's the holidays... shouldn't we all be enjoying some crazy wonderful merriment!? Raise your hand if you are 100% lovin' it this season! Yes, I can see you. No, I'm not telling you where I put the cameras so stop looking over your shoulder!

I won't get into my craziness this holiday season... because it's getting old and I'm tired of giving it attention. My weird holiday season aside I think we all struggle a bit over the holidays to maintain our sanity.

The holiday foods and parties abound. Even if you aren't a party goer it comes into your life. Work stuff, kids (even my anti sugar butt has been baking up a storm - okay it's a dull breeze - and we are going to do gingerbread houses), the "oh it's the holidays' libations... the stress of

GETTING IT ALL IN!

Again, raise your hand if you have skipped a workout because you are TOO BUSY! Raise your OTHER hand now to indicate that you've loosened the reigns on your food and drinks as well!

Okay.. put your hands down. Let's  move on.

The new year is coming... let's start getting some BALANCE now. Let's not wait. These things work during any time of stress... holidays and otherwise.

Say NO! Maybe you're super cool and are being invited to every party on the block... I KNOW you don't necessarily want to GO TO all of them. Say NO! It's okay. Your kid's school is pulling you in a million different directions to help out with the parties etc that go on at school. And GOD FORBID you have more than one kid in different classes. Double (triple, quadrupal) whammy. SAY NO! It's okay! Work obligations, end of year deadlines... Say NO!

Say YES! Yes to your workout. FIND the time, MAKE the time. DON'T fall off the bandwagon! Recruit a friend to go with you so you KNOW you can't blow it off because s/he will be waiting for you. Get up at day break and GET ER done if that's what it takes. Will you be crabby about getting up early.. perhaps, but YOU'LL be DONE! Maybe you'll even create a new habit.

I kick it old school.

DRINK... your water! This is HUGE. At least I find it to be HUGE! Water flushes those toxins out... you know the sugar and alcohol etc that you are indulging in! Water feeds you cells and lubricates your joints... keeps the ol' brain in tip top shape. Wash out the cob webs and the toxins. I like to carry a 32 oz Nalgene around with me all day. I try to drink FOUR of them. I sweat a lot when I workout. If I'm spinning I finish AN ENTIRE bottle... and don't include it in my FOUR. Drink at least 8 oz of water upon waking! Your body will thank you and YOU will thank ME! Drink it w/ your morning coffee if you must have your coffee. It's okay!

ENJOY! It's the holidays. Eat the fun foods. Have a cookie OR the pie OR the cake. Drink egg nog. Have some candy canes. Chocolate.. OMG love the chocolate. That said.... LIMIT yourself. Don't deny yourself... but LIMIT. Keep it under control!

RELAX! If you have to ... SCHEDULE IT! Whatever it is that you do to relax. Curl up by the fire w/ your honey. Watch a movie. Have a random coffee date with a friend. Don't make it a thing. Just something easy and fun. Read a book.  Take a nice long hot bath. You get the idea.

Are you maintaining some semblance of balance? How are you doing it? What's your key to stress relief. For me it's keeping my workouts and finding some quiet time every day. Sitting here blogging in a quiet house drinking a nice hot cup of coffee ALL BY MYSELF is pretty golden for me!

Happy Holidays, Happy Hannukah and Merry Christmas!

And please check out my follow up post called THE REAL DEAL!