Feeling Stressed This Holiday Season?

Can you believe it’s December already? Where has this year flown?

I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving. We had planned on getting away for the holiday by driving down state a few hours and staying in a hotel with a heated pool and spa. Due to my tailbone injury we ended up staying home and having a wonderful time regardless.

It is very common for the stress of the holidays to cause many to put aside thoughts of fitness and become victims of tradition. Fitness Coach said what?! Let me ask you this. How many of your holiday traditions center around food? Elaborate meals; endless cookies of all flavors, shapes and sizes; parties with numerous friends that center around food; decorations made of food (gingerbread house); gifts for friends made of food. I could go on but I’ll stop.

Over the last three years, I have made it a point to start family traditions that do not include food. Going for a drive at a local park that sets up thousands of lights. Delivering gifts (nonfood type) to our local nursing home while singing Christmas Carols, participating in our church Christmas musical, creating homemade sewn presents for each of my children and so much more. I’m sure you see what I mean.

For so many years my focus was on food. Celebrating every holiday with a huge feast, making special breads, cookies and drinks (non-alcoholic!). I wanted to change that around to focusing on the true meaning of Christmas – Jesus Christ! I have truly enjoyed the new traditions we have started.

I haven’t entirely stopped our old traditions. I kept the ones that were most meaningful to us. We still make cookies to give away at our homeschool cookie exchange. We collect all the exchanged cookies into different containers to give to friends. We still enjoy a Christmas dinner but with healthier fare. We made miniature gingerbread houses, although my 3 year old got frustrated and ate hers!

I want to offer a challenge to you this holiday season. Don’t stress on trying to outdo yourself each year. Enjoy each other this season, reflect on the blessings of 2008, and create some new healthier traditions. Just one new one a year. Let me know what you’ve done.

PS. I am working furiously on finishing up my Transformation Guide for Homeschool Moms to get it done before the new year. It will contain all the information you need to get fit and strong with exercises that include the entire family. Lots of fun games to get the kiddies involved.