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Its not for everyone, but no one can escape it. It's Christmas time! Too much rich food, alcohol, noise and empty bank accounts. Many can feel deflated after a sensory overload and struggle to get back to their normal. Post-Christmas recovery can vary from the physical to financial. Below are concise tips to help you rebound into 2024.
1. Reset Your Diet: Gradually return to a balanced, nutrient-rich diet. After the festive indulgence, focus on plenty of fruits, vegetables, lean proteins, and whole grains. You are what you eat. A short period of over indulgence isn't going to hurt you, but we don't want it to continue into the new year!
2. Hydrate: Increase your water intake to help flush out excess sodium and toxins. We eat a lot of salty, sugary and high calorie foods over Christmas. And many drink a little too much alcohol. This can leave us feeling rather low energy and tired. Increasing your water intake rather than your pint glass will increase energy, and flush out those free radicals that have built up over Christmas.
3. Exercise: Resume or kick-start a regular exercise routine to burn off those extra calories. A nice walk, a gentle run, ease back in and you'll feel like a million bucks again.
4. Sleep Schedule: Get back into your normal sleep routine to recover from late nights and improve overall well-being. Sleep is vital for healing, giving your immune system time to kill off any potential bugs and flu.
5. Budget Review: Evaluate your finances, set a plan to tackle any holiday debt, and start saving for next year. The gift of giving feels great, but we can get too excited leaving us struggling to pay the bills in the new year.
6. Mindful Relaxation: Dedicate time to meditation or breathing exercises to reduce stress. Often we are around lots of people for up to a week or more, leaving little time for ourselves. Dependingif you are an introvert or extrovert some just need alone time to recharge those socialbatteries.
7. Declutter: Take down Christmas decorations in a timely manner, and use the opportunity to declutter and organize your living spaces. A clean house is a happy house. Research shows that people are calmer with less clutter.
8. Reflect: Spend some time reflecting on the past year, and set realistic goals or resolutions for the new year. This does not mean a new years resolution that 1% of the population achieve. It means looking back on what you might have done well or maybe not so well and what we could do better. Ease into the new year and don't be so hard on yourself.
9. Social Connections: Rebalance your social life by scheduling quality time with friends and family, especially if the holidays were hectic. You may need a few days for yourself but if you are a sociabal person its important to get back to your routine for optimal health.
10. Gratitude: Practice gratitude; acknowledge the good times and gifts, and consider giving back through which ever way you feel is going to help someone. There is tons of research on gratitude and it is something that works wonders when practiced regularly.
Embarking on these steps can aid in a smooth transition to everyday life after the holiday season. Many people can feel low and sad, but with some self care and clear and precise steps, the new year can be something to look forward to, without anxiety and stress.
Happy Christmas and a happy new year!
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