The holiday season can be chaotic. With travel, family gatherings, and a never-ending to-do list, it’s easy to let healthy habits slide. Many of us struggle to stay on track during this time, but it doesn’t have to be that way.
Samantha Harden, an associate professor at Virginia Tech, offers some great insights on maintaining wellness during the holidays. She studies how people can keep well-being in real-world scenarios and emphasizes that our unrealistic expectations can lead to stress.
“We tend to think that with time off we can magically create healthy routines,” Harden explains. “But holiday activities often eat up that time. It’s essential to find balance.”
Instead of waiting for the “perfect” time to get healthy, she suggests simple methods to integrate wellness into holiday traditions. Here are a few ideas:
- Habit Stacking: Pair everyday actions with wellness habits. For example, after dinner, take a short walk together as a family.
- Gamifying Activities: Turn chores into fun games, like doing a mini workout every time you finish the dishes.
- Involve Others: Call a friend or family member during your walks, or take a fitness class together. Support goes both ways.
- Travel Smart: Make time to move, stay well-hydrated, and give yourself leeway to handle delays.
Harden also encourages a broader view of wellness beyond just exercise or nutrition. Well-being has six dimensions: happiness, mental and physical health, social connections, meaning and purpose, character, and financial stability. She reminds us that during the holidays, focusing on relationships could be more beneficial than keeping strict fitness routines.
Moreover, it’s okay to take a break. “Missing one meal or routine doesn’t mean you’ve failed,” Harden says. An all-or-nothing mindset usually leads to stress, so it’s important to adjust expectations to fit reality.
If you’re looking for ways to maintain your health during the holidays, Harden’s advice can help you find thoughtful, manageable solutions that fit your lifestyle.
This year, let’s prioritize enjoyment and connection, even if it means adjusting our routine.
For more insights on maintaining healthy habits, refer to resources from the Virginia Cooperative Extension.
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Newswise, Holiday Advice;Healthy Eating Habits;Holiday Health Tips;Nutrition;Food;Exercise, Virginia Tech
