Healthy habits are something that can be hard to get into, especially during the festive season. Making even small changes to the way you spend your Christmas can have a valuable and worthwhile impact on your health and wellbeing. Christmas is a time to enjoy yourself, not a time for feeling sluggish, unwell or rundown because of unhealthy lifestyle choices; taking the time to make a start on healthy habits now will make the end of your year a positive one. Take a look at our top 5 tips on having a Christmas that kick-starts the healthy habits that will set you up to head into the new year feeling refreshed.
1.Get active with the family
Christmas is a time where we often take pleasure in doing sweet nothing. Although relaxing really takes the weight off your mind and body after a busy month of shopping and working hard, we can easily slump into a pattern of not doing a whole lot. Encourage yourself to get into healthy habits that focus on exercise and fitness and aim to involve those around you, after all, Christmas is a time for family. The healthy habits that you choose to take up in the build-up to Christmas can also let you make the most of the season, whether that be enjoying the winter weather or this year’s new gifts with the kids. Walking is one of the best healthy habits that you can embrace. Free and full of health benefits, walking is a great opportunity to get the family doing something together. Healthy habits, such as family walks, are a simple way to burn off those extra Christmas calories and will help aid digestion after big Christmas meals. Overindulging at Christmas isn’t uncommon but keeping your health in mind and being a little strict with yourself is always worthwhile.
2.Cut back on the Christmas drinks
One of the best healthy ways to get used to is saying no to alcohol now and then. As we approach the Christmas period, we find ourselves surrounded by booze. Christmas is the time when alcohol units really start to add up and the effects become noticeable. Alcohol soon starts to take a toll on your body; it’s severely dehydrating and is linked to lots of serious health issues. If you want to make sure your health is on top form, water is your best option. Pushing yourself into healthy practices when it comes to drinking will make you feel better both inside and out.
3. Change up your eating habits
When it comes to Christmas, our eating habits often get a little out of control when instead we could be thinking about alternative healthy habits. All of the celebrations tend to leave us feeling sluggish, overfilled, and tired. Changing the way we eat over the Christmas period can help us to get into a healthier lifestyle sooner, Â that will leave us feeling satisfied and full of energy. Cutting down portion sizes will leave your body feeling better in no time by keeping your diet to one your digestion system is more used to.
4. Engage your cognitive side
We all take Christmas as a time to relax and switch off, sending us hurtling into work in the New Year feeling slow and stuck for inspiration. Just because you’re on holiday doesn’t mean you can’t keep your brain ticking over. It’s important to make sure that both your brain and body get regular workouts to keep them working to their optimum level. The better you feel both mentally and physically, the easier it will be to get back into the rhythm once you head back to the office. Engaging healthy habits will keep your mind engaged will vastly help how you feel, a healthy state of mind will make for a happy life. Even the smallest activities like reading a new book or playing with some new tech is a great way to keep your mind from becoming lazy. Playing games with the family such as Trivial Pursuit or Monopoly are unexpected ways of engaging your brain into healthy habits all whilst still being fun.
5. Say no to stress
Christmas is one of the greatest times of the year, but for some, it can be quite a stressful situation. When we add up all the spending, cleaning, cooking, people to see and things to do, it’s no wonder some of us feel so tired and burnt out. Healthy habits can stem much further from just what we eat and drink at Christmas, how we feel can also have an impact on how we approach new habits in the New Year. Reducing stress around you at Christmas will allow you to be more productive, improve your mood and boost your immune system. Keeping the stress levels low in our lives is key to maintaining our overall health and there is no better way to start the New Year than feeling free from stress.Â
The key to embracing healthy habits is to welcome them fully and allow them to transform the way you work and live. At Protectus Healthcare, we believe that there is nothing more important than your health, that’s why we make it our mission to source the right health and protection policies that suits your individual and family needs. Get in touch to discuss how you can look after and protect you and your family.  https://protectushealthcare.com
