#007. 7 Tips On How To Survive The Holidays Without Going Bonkers

Today I want to talk about how to survive the holiday frenzy without going bonkers. The holidays are just around the corner, and it's time to party it up, and most of us go bonkers.

It's time to clean the house, fill up the fridge and the pantry with all the food that you know everyone loves. It starts with the pies, the cakes, the cheeses, the cream, including everything you deny yourself all year long. And the holidays seem to be just the perfect time just to cram it all in and stuff it all down without guilt because after all, it's the holidays.

It usually starts with Halloween. If you're a parent, you know exactly what I'm talking about. One year, my children brought home five pounds, not kidding you, FIVE POUNDS of Halloween candy.

So, what did we do with all that candy? Of course, they got their share, but as a parent, we most likely steal the candy we love and eat it all. There's already that candy, sugar, fat, chocolatey, oh-so-yummy’s starting. We're thinking, "All right. It's Halloween, and I will get out my holiday combat gear for that." What is your holiday combat gear, you wonder? Oh, easy peasy. Stretchy pants, oversized T-shirts or pullovers. They cover any weight gain and includes anything that you might feel guilty about.

November is the Thanksgiving eating marathon. Oh boy. Butter is everywhere, the eggnog is flowing (even the low-fat version) and football is on every TV in the U.S. The couches finally get the usage they deserve, and people just plop down, and sit, and eat.

I’m from Germany, and we don’t have any Thanksgiving there, so coming to the States, this whole turkey business was utterly surprising. Nowhere in Germany do you get together on a specific day to eat some turkey or pumpkin pies.

For years we made terrific feasts with all the bells and whistles. So, you're slugging it out with your eating marathon in November, and Thanksgiving is the blastoff for your eating marathon.

But wait. Then there's December. December has an avalanche of Christmas parties, office parties, family get-togethers, and shopping has become an event in itself of shopping, wrapping presents and then sending them off. As you know, stress is at an all-time high, because there is so much to do before we can enjoy the holidays.

And these times of the year, when it's freezing and gross outside and raining or snowing, seem like the best time to sit around, drink, and eat more food. If you're worried about eating and drinking too much, you think you don’t have to worry. You know why? Because you already see the cleanses, the fitness challenges or the 21-day fixes. These are supposed to make you feel secure in overeating and under-exercising. The next diet is already on the horizon to save you from who? Yourself, and perhaps to jumpstart you yet again.

In my opinion, they prey on the weakness of self-discipline that we have during the holidays. We all have it. I'm looking forward to a stuffed yummy turkey and pumpkin pie, with a big slap of whipped cream on top, and a whole bunch of glasses of wine. But we lack self-discipline because that's the only time of the year we eat these kinds of foods, and why not? There is absolutely nothing wrong with doing that within reason. These programs are there to theoretically help us because we eat ourselves helpless. Have you eaten yourself helpless? No, you didn't, because you already know what to do. It's every year you see the articles pop up. You read it everywhere.

They say the same things over and over again. Only eat one plateful. Eat before the party. Don't wait till you get there because you will be hungry. Stick only to the healthy foods. Do not eat anything with mayonnaise or cream on it. Take one piece of pie or candy from the Smorgasbord. Walk after the meal. It's the same recommendations every year, and we know them by heart. This is not what I want to talk about. I don't have to tell you these same old mantras. All you do is you feel guilty, and I don't want you to feel guilty.

I want you to take care of yourself and the people you love. So, here are my seven steps on how to survive the holiday frenzy without going bonkers.

#1 Book a massage.

If you have a little cash lying around, book a massage. You can't do anything better for yourself for an hour, being taken care of, and just relaxing and lying somewhere in a comfortable room.

#2 Go to the spa

Who says you can't? It's only you. Get pampered. Get a pedicure. Do some aromatherapy or whatever makes you happen.

#3 Take a bubble bath

If you don’t have the extra cash to go the spa, then how about taking a bubble bath? Buy one of those yummy delicious bubble baths, spend an hour in there and relax. No stress, no running around.

#4 Stop pleasing everyone around you

You don't have to break your neck to make everybody else happy, to cook the perfect dinner, to set the perfect table, to buy the perfect gift, to run around for everybody else. Stop pleasing everybody because they don't want you to be frazzled and running around.

Yes, they eat your fantastic cooked food, and yes, they would thank you for the fantastic gifts, but I'm sure that they are much happier spending time with you when you're relaxed with a glass of wine or beer in your hand chatting with them.

#5 Make your gifts

How about making the presents instead of buying them? I'm thinking of a very particular person right now. It has nothing to do with the holidays, but my son just got married, and his wife is incredibly crafty. She made terrific things for her wedding that she gave out to her guests. I loved it!

She made a clothes hanger that said “Mother of the Groom” on it with the dates, and on the back, it says “With love, from Megan.” It really touched me, and I just love it. When I look at the hanger, it makes me feel so special. How about making a few of your gifts instead of buying them? They’re so much more meaningful.

#6 Shop online

Or if you do want to buy new presents for someone, consider shopping online instead of heading to the mall. You can always return the items, and you get to stay in your peaceful home without having to deal with traffic and the hordes of people.

#7 Activities instead of objects

Give and do activities as a present. What I mean by that is give a gift certificate for an activity, such as a skydiving lesson. Another example is from this past year where instead of preparing this big meal for my family for Thanksgiving, we planned a family trip to New Orleans. We got an Airbnb, got the family together, and explored a new city. We went to Bourbon Street, my kids took a glassblowing class, and ate excellent meals that we didn’t have to prepare. It was the perfect time to spend time together and not run around.

These are my seven tips on how to survive the holiday frenzy without going bonkers. Remember that it's more important to spend time with the people you love than go shopping. You're not a loser because you blew your healthy diet. You're not stingy because you don't want to buy elaborate or expensive gifts, but you're staying sane and will have a fantastic holiday season.

You know, I want to let you in on a little secret. You don't have to go yet on another diet or fitness plan in the new year or make another New Year's resolution only not to keep it.

Why? Because all you do is go back to your right habits that you established throughout the year. There's nothing that changed in November or December. All that changed was that you ate a little differently. You may have exercised a little less, and maybe you traveled a little more. Work diligently on those habits you’ve already established. You don't have to reinvent the wheel. You don't have to join some crazy diet or challenge or cleanse to see results quickly. Go back to what you did. It's going to take a little bit longer to reach your results, but your habits are what brings you back to your healthy you.

   So, with that in mind, I want to wish you happy holidays, and I hope to see you next time here at the Pursue Your Spark podcast. Ciao until then.

For more inspiration and education go to my website: Heike Yates