Hi everyone, it’s yours truly, The Clean Eating Coach with a simple tip to successfully navigate the holiday season — just say NO!

I don’t mean say no to everything you love to eat and do but I’m personally taking a stand on saying no to being over-committed and stressed out during the holidays.  With holiday invitations and gatherings beckoning, not to mention shopping and wrapping things up at work, there are far more things to do than I could possibly fit in. 

In the past, I’ve been a holiday “YES” woman.  Yes, I’ll make an appetizer for this, Yes, I’ll help you wrap gifts, Yes, I’ll come over to decorate, Yes, I’ll come to your event.  But all that “yessing” landed me in a state of overwhelm and anxiety with not nearly enough time for myself.  I was so stressed out trying to fit everything in that I didn’t truly enjoy myself. For me, the holidays should be a nice balance and the pace should slow down. As it is, I spend too much time rushing around throughout my day and year and I don’t want to do that during the holidays too.

And given the traumatic year I’ve had with health issues, surgery and a cancer scare, I’m truly appreciating a slower pace, finding time to read and relax more and not have to do everything.  I think saying no is one of the healthiest things I can do this year and I’m happily putting it into action.  And once you get going, saying isn’t actually that hard.  

Here are some specific ideas about how I’m creating more boundaries and a slower pace:

• Attending less holiday parties and events
• Making time spent with family a priority
• Minimizing shopping and skipping the crowds at the mall
• Consciously connecting with friends I won’t see over the holidays by phone and Skype
• Setting aside time to read, watch movies and just be
• Making healthy choices for holiday meals and snacks…More down time means more time to potentially eat so I’m planning ahead with healthy treats

What are you unequivocally saying NO to this year that you’re thrilled about and will make a huge difference in your sanity and stress level?

By the way, if you’re stumped about how to navigate the holidays and maintain clean eating without packing on the pounds, check out my “Clean Eating During the Holidays” audio recording: http://budurl.com/te6a. Some great ideas on how to say NO yet enjoy yourself.

Filed under: Anxiety, Holidays, Relaxation, Stress Management