Do you find that this time between Christmas and New Years is a time that you slack off with your regular habits, and that you don’t start yet with any new habits you want to start for the new year?
It’s a whole week (maybe more depending on your family festivities, or partying with friends) of not getting what you really want out of yourself, or your normal habits!
If your house is like mine then you have plenty of treats around the house, and maybe still some delicious decadent food that you normally might not have on hand. That can create tons of food temptations that don’t get you anywhere closer to your health goals!
It doesn’t even have to be about food! You may have tons of Christmas gifts around your house – that adds a ton of clutter if it’s not put away promptly. It can even build from the “clutter” of all the Christmas décor set up around the house!
This week is often a vacation week if you’re working, so you may not be in your normal work mode, so maybe you are thinking about all the emails that are piling up, or work that you will have to do when you go back to work – adding to stress at home because you know you’ll have more stress when you return in January.
It’s also different having the kids home. They may want to spend their time differently than you want them to spend their time, leading to more family feuds. Maybe the kids got cool toys but siblings got something different, setting up a recipe for more fighting!
Well there is no need to wait until January 1st to start your new habits!
January 1st, is just another day!
Start eating healthy today! Sure there may be extra treats in the house, so freeze them! All kinds of treats freeze very well (including chocolate bars!) Save them for a day when you really want that extra treat! If they are more like candy treats, serve them when guests come over. If you have a plan of starting to eat healthier in the new year, there’s no need to wait. Healthier eating starting now gives you a bit of time to practice your habit (new or old) and makes it less likely for you to fall off the wagon right away. Even just pick one meal to focus on. Make sure you eat a healthy breakfast, or have a smoothie. It’s still healthier, even if you do consume more treats than normal!
If you’re starting to get overwhelmed with the house, and all of the stuff, gather everyone together for big family tidy time! Everyone can help put away their new stuff where they now will keep it! If it’s really grating on you, you could even put away all of your Christmas decorations too! Your house will probably feel brand new! Then start setting aside time for decluttering or cleaning everyday.
If you’re already getting stressed about returning to work, why not BRIEFLY check in! It’s a dangerous slope, because I am a huge proponent of work happens at work and home life happens at home. But I also know how the world works! If it makes your life easier to manage, and may prevent extra hours the first week back, then why not check a few emails, or call others still working to check in. Like I said, keep it brief! It’s not about checking in so that you can do work while you’re on vacation, it’s a check in so that you can mentally prepare for what you’re heading back to.
If you’ve got the kids home and you are pulling out your hair with them running around your feet, pick something they want to do and make it a priority! Maybe discuss starting a new family tradition with them for the new year. Maybe you could start having a kid made lunch every Saturday, or maybe you spend a bit of time focused on each kid, like some one on one time to make them feel special!
At the end of the day, whatever habits you have built up, or new habits you are trying to start, you don’t have to wait until January 1st. It truly is just another day. So tell yourself that today is no different!
Why not start today instead? That way, you will already be seeing the benefits of your actions by January 1st!
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