Don’t make life harder for yourself this month by undoing all the good work you have done the rest of the year by thinking that you’ll deal with the consequences in January. That may have been what you’ve done in previous years but it doesn’t mean that’s how it has to work out this time around. This could be the year you do it differently.
What often happens is that we embrace the month of December and all the social gatherings that come with it with vigour, and once we take a bite of an unhealthy cake or miss a gym session we think: “Oh well, that’s the healthy diet gone for the month” or: “Bye bye exercise, what’s the point?”. But there is a point – and if you find a way to maintain a healthy lifestyle through the month of December, you won’t have to face the pain of kick starting your body once again in January and feeling like you are right back at square one.
You see, there is a way to enjoy the festivities and yet respect yourself and your body. It’s just about planning and balance. December really is not different from any other month in the year – the importance we choose to give it is in our minds. So imagine now scheduling in time for exercise, walks and healthy dinners throughout this month – literally write them in your diary at the same time as you plan in your social events, with the aim of creating balance in your schedule. This way you will hit January with a smile on your face and the guilt will be swapped with satisfaction of a job well done!
Try this: set new goals
When we get to the end of December and start to consider our fitness and wellbeing goals for the year ahead sometimes we tend to focus on all the things we didn’t do rather than give ourselves credit for the things we have done. This visualising exercise will help you notice all of your achievements and leave you in a positive place for setting new targets.
1. Sit somewhere comfortable and close your eyes. Tune into your own breath.
2. Imagine you are watching a film in front of you, and allow your mind to run through everything you have achieved this year up until this moment. You may also become aware of things you haven’t done and that you would like to achieve next year.
3. Try just to notice and observe your thoughts and feelings rather than judging and trying to control them.
4. Then run a film of the year ahead, imagining all the things you would like to achieve.
5. Once you are done, open your eyes and have a notepad ready to write down any observations, achievements and goals.
By doing this in a relaxed state you will allow any underlying ideas and thoughts to come to the surface and things you may have pushed aside as not important may in fact appear. Enjoy exploring!
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