SMALL WELLNESS STEPS DURING THE HOLIDAYS FOR BIG JANUARY RESULTS
What’s the Phrase…”Every Long Journey Starts with One Small Step”? Start Stepping!
Just take the following small steps during the holidays and you’ll see bigger wellness results in the new year.
Here we are in December and a new year is right around the corner. Many of us are entrepreneurs and we’re sort of used to making lists every week or day actually. How to balance all of the production needs, shipping and inventory needs, family needs and all the emergencies that come up all the time. But what about life goals? How about Health Goals? What if we told you that you can still enjoy the holidays and have wellness results in January.
Grab your journal calendar and a good pen. We are going to start creating your Monthly Health Goals. I’m not talking about losing weight for a wedding next summer. Or saving money for your next vacation. Although we should be discussing those money goals too but here we’re talking about Short Term Health Goals. It’s always easier to break up long term goals into small steps.
We’re looking at the month of December. What health-related goals do you want to focus on completing before starting 2020? More quality family time? Less food prep? Let’s try 4 main areas: sleep, water, exercise and nutrition. We’ll call them the Big 4
SLEEP:
Now’s the time to look at getting enough sleep. I know it’s the busiest time of year but it’s when you need to focus on something the most. I love the meditation saying about “…the person that is too busy for 5 minutes of meditation then needs to do 20 minutes.” Same with sleep. So discussing short term goals, think about starting January getting to bed by 10:30pm. If you currently go to bed at 11:30pm then we need to take those small steps to get where we want to be starting in January. So each week of December, go to bed 15 minutes earlier. Then by Jan 1, we are getting an extra hour of QUALITY sleep and on our way to a long term goal of longer and better sleep.
WATER:
Big one here. Most Americans do NOT drink enough water to fulfill their body’s needs to properly eliminate toxins, fat and keep organs running at their best. So this week we are going to look at your current “normal” water intake. First, make sure you are getting good filtered water. Get a really good re-useable BPA free/glass water bottle. And then look at how much water you drink on a normal day. Then we want to calculate how much you should be drinking.
How much? To start, we take your body weight and then half that amount. That number is generally how many ounces to drink per day. If you are 150lbs, then 75oz is a good start. Take into account your activity level and how hot the weather is. So if you are sweating a lot, then increase the amount. If you are more sedentary and this amount is making you dizzy then decrease till you feel better. Point being that filtered water is NEEDED by the body for proper function. Toxins need to be released and water intake is how it’s done.
EXERCISE:
Movement and exercise is needed everyday for proper body functions and to keep disease at bay. Again, look at your normal activity level and see what is needed. If you mostly sit at a desk all day, then this month focus on getting up and standing or actually walking around for 5-10 minutes per hour. Take a longer route to the printer or when you fill up that coffee mug. Park your vehicle a little farther away from the door all month. Or get in the habit of incorporating a few stretching throughout the day.
And now isn’t the time to forget your workouts. I know you’re busy but every schedule can accommodate a workout schedule update. Focus on getting at LEAST 30 minutes of constant exercise per day. It can also be in increments of 10 or 15 minutes at a time! If your schedule just can’t fit in a full 30 minutes in the morning or night, then do 10 minutes in the morning, at lunch time and in the evening. Mix it up so you are getting a variety of cardio, strength, and stretch. We’ll discuss more before January.
NUTRITION:
Yes I still want you to think about nutrition even during the holiday season. It’s perfectly fine to indulge and enjoy those holiday favorites but make sure you are getting a balance of nutrient-dense foods and limiting all the treats. If you know you have a big office party on Friday, then focus on more nutritious foods leading up to the party. Decide if you are going to have EVERY treat or maybe limit to those absolute favorites. If you have food allergies or sensitivities, then make sure to plan ahead and bring your own treats or nutritious swaps.
Wellness doesn’t have to mean extremes or a “ALL OR NOTHING” approach. During December, we can take small wellness steps during the Holidays for Big January Results. Just plan ahead now and then be several steps ahead when we start January.
This Holiday Wellness Challenge is brought to you by our own team with Body Systems Active Apothecary Skincare Team. We offer bath and body products to help you get and stay active whether that is running a family, being an office warrior or for the serious athlete. Look at products now at Body Systems
Check out our blog post from Day 2 of our Wellness Challenge to see our best products for winter workouts. Included is our Mineral Bath Soak which is great for a good sleep and nutrient dense for recovery of muscles! Just remember… Small wellness steps during Holidays for Big January Results
Leave a Reply