– but wait, these tips are actually for more than mere survival!
Tips for surviving the Christmas silly season are of paramount importance! Most of us would have heard of the term ‘The Silly Season’. However, for those less familiar with this saying, it refers to the Christmas season and the associated frenzy of gift buying and money spending, cooking lots of food and eating more than our share and in many countries also drinking copious amounts of alcohol. Essentially we could call this a form of ‘silliness’ or madness that many can get sucked into very easily under the guise of ‘celebration’.
It is not called the ‘silly season’ for no reason! How many times do we feel a little silly afterwards when we look back and realise the choices that we made that were not really that wise – choices that did not really support us and that we may regret afterwards…sound familiar? And I am not only talking about the excess drinking, or eating that can happen, but above all the missed opportunities of quality time with loved ones, the rest and recharge of our body and mind, the joy and laughter and vitality that is our natural way of being.
Well, it does not have to be this way each time Christmas comes around. The good thing is that if we ‘mess up’ by not getting it quite right this time around, it does not matter as we will have another go next year again!
Tips for surviving the Silly Season
So here are some simple tips for surviving the Christmas silly season and to consider how you can support yourself this time around:
DON’T DRINK ALCOHOL. Consider that you have the option to NOT drink alcohol. In our current society that consumes so much alcohol, we sometimes forget that it is an option to NOT drink and that this is OK too.
DRINK WISELY. If you are going to drink, make sure you stay hydrated with water as alcohol depletes you of water, minerals and vitamins. Have a glass of water between your alcoholic drinks, try to minimize them, and ensure the next day is kept as a recovery day to nurture and recover your losses, heal the liver and organs. B vitamins are key, as is lots of water to flush out the toxins.
EAT WISELY. Don’t turn yourself into Christmas stuffing! It’s tempting to over-eat when there is so much good food around and you are distracted by the company and the conversations. Remember to eat plenty of vegetables to get your greens and fibre in first, and then enjoy the other foods in moderation, especially the deserts. Choose healthier versions of deserts where possible such as a fruit salad or some of our healthy low sugar treats from our Websites – such as nut butter brownies, banana carob muffins, or coconut carob cake.
KEEP THINGS SIMPLE AND MINIMISE STRESS. Do your best to minimise stress by sticking to simple and practical and doable goals. Involve others in your decision making and delegate jobs so that one person alone is not responsible for the whole Christmas cook up and preparation. Have fun when you are preparing things as it is the genuine quality and care of the preparation that really determines the quality of the final outcome – if you are having fun in the making, the final product will be full of joy.
CONNECT AND ENJOY YOUR LOVED ONES – Christmas time is really an opportunity to connect with those around us and express our appreciation and our love. This does not have to be through giving gifts, but more with the way we are with those we care about so that we are expressing our love and care through our actions. And we have all heard how actions do speak louder than words.
The list could go on. Now many of these points might appear basic and ones we have heard before, but as they say, we do learn from repetition! So keep it simple, have fun and listen to what your whole body is up for in terms of foods and drinks and activities so that you can greet the new year by having laid a solid foundation to live and grow from.
Read more about leaving the stuffing for Christmas Turkey and true connections around Christmas here.