Surviving The Holiday Season FABULOUSLY FIT By René Burton

CREATING BALANCE IN YOUR LIFE
This is the time of year when stress seems to be the norm in our lives.
Now that Thanksgiving is over, and the Holidays are looming even closer, we need to take a deep breathe and relax and reassess our priorities.
The first step is to realize that you have total control over every situation. Organize your time and your life. Prioritize and schedule activities in the order of their importance. This will help simplify tasks and leave you time to relax.

Eat Healthy - Your diet is an important part of balancing your life. Fast and convenient food take less time to eat and digest, unfortunately eating on the run will lead to serious illness and disease and sap your energy. Take the time to eat fruits and vegetables and high fiber foods that will help balance your body so that you are capable of handling the activities that may cause you stress during the day.
Our biggest problem, at this time of year, is the food, drink and festivities that abound everywhere we go. If you have taken the time to include nutritious food in your day, you will be less tempted to grab that piece of pie or chocolate to assuage your hunger. If you are going to a party in the evening Don’t Skip Lunch! If you do, you will arrive at the party famished and you will make a beeline for the appetizers which are loaded with fat and calories. I always eat before I go to a party. Buffets are a trap. If you have eaten prior to arriving at the buffet, you will be less tempted by fried and fatty foods and you will automatically head for the protein and greens. Always be the last one on the buffet line.

DON’T SKIP YOUR WORKOUT!! Even though you may be tempted to skip that class at the gym because you have so much to accomplish, you will be better able to handle the demands of the day if you stay fit. Exercise has many benefits, one being better circulation which brings oxygen to the brain where it is needed most. Fatigue and the inability to make decisions are often the result of the brain not getting the oxygen it needs to function. We need oxygen to build brain cells.

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LEARN TO RELAX!! Relaxed people are happier and less stressed. Take a break, even if it is just for a few minutes to sit in a chair and close your eyes and relax your facial muscles and release the tension in your neck and back. Try to mediate, even for a few minutes. Take a deep breathe. This will help lower your blood pressure and increase your ability to handle whatever comes up.

FORGET MULTI-TASKING – I know that we have so much to accomplish in such a short period of time, put your full focus and energy on one specific task at a time. Put quality before quantity. You may do fewer things but you will do them well.

SPEND MORE TIME WITH FRIENDS AND FAMILY. Isn’t that really what the holidays are all about? They are the ones that will be there for you. Cherish them and let them know how important they are in your life. You can never say “I love you” too much.
GET ENOUGH ZZZ’S – Shortchanging your body of sleep can mean bad news for our bodies and our psyches, says Dr. David Schulman, director of the Sleep Laboratory at Emory University in Atlanta. Caffeine and alcohol are not a good idea before bed. Alcohol may help you fall asleep but you will wake up as your body metabolizes the alcohol. You will wake up fatigued and will not be able to accomplish your goals and therefore create more stress.
Set aside some quiet time to enjoy the things that really matter.

Have a Happy and Healthy and Stress-Free Holiday!