Hi everyone!
This is just a short post to wish you all a wonderful holiday and a great New Year, and to those who celebrate, a very Merry Christmas!
We also would like to especially thank all our readers so much for visiting and supporting our website this year – it means a lot to us!
We will take a short break during the holidays but will get back to writing after the New Year on issues that we think are important and helpful to other people in the health and fitness areas.
If you have been rushing around to get everything ready for the most special celebration of the year, we hope you now can spend the rest of the holidays on non-material things that matter most to you: your health and your family.
Below are a few suggestions.
1. Eat a lot of healthy food and take care of your health
You definitely still can enjoy some festive food if you wish but, if you do it wisely, you won’t be starting a new year with a few unwanted extra pounds. Please check out this post for some of the best tips on how to enjoy your holiday and avoid weight gain at the same time.
2. Stay away from Christmas sales, Boxing Day sales, and New Year sales
People have been using shopping as a mood booster to de-stress and cope with other problems in life. However, retail therapy can make you feel good for only a short time and doesn’t make you happier. All material pleasures are short-lived. In addition, while there may be some items for sale at genuine discounted prices, they are designed to get you in the door and spend a lot of money on things you don’t really need. It’s not a good way to face a new year with a big credit card balance and the best way to avoid this is to stay away from those shopping outlets.
3. Spend quality time with your loved ones
Anything that you do together can improve your relationship and your happiness. For example, take a nature hike, play some board games, go out for a movie, have a picnic, do chores together, run errands together, or simply just cook and eat together.
4. Indulge in festive activities with family and friends and make lasting memories
The options are endless, for example, bake some cookies for Santa and your neighbors, do a photo shoot and send out customized holiday cards, decorate the Christmas tree together, hang up Christmas stockings, build a fire, blow up winter inflatables, see local holiday displays, organize a Christmas karaoke, have an ugly Christmas sweaters competition, or watch a classic Christmas movie together.
5. Spend as much time outdoors as you can and get plenty of sun exposure
The sun, the source of life, gives us more than just vitamin D, it makes us happier, strengthens our immune system, regulates our circadian rhythm, helps treat many health problems, and reduces mortality, and it’s absolutely free too.
6. Be physically active as much as you can
Being physically active has so many health benefits, from reducing stress, improving your mental health, preserving muscle mass, improving sleep quality, and promoting general well-being to maintaining a healthy weight. Please check out this post for some tips on how to incorporate more movements into your days.
7. Read a book, listen to music, spend time on your hobby, or learn something that you enjoy
As the saying goes, the best investment you can make is an investment in yourself.
If you’ve always wanted to learn to draw, play the piano, join a martial art club or write a book, there is no better time than now to get started and do something that you enjoy.
Nobody, on his or her deathbed, ever regrets not working harder or spending more time on their business. Rather, they regret not following their passions, chasing their dreams, taking risks, and spending time with their loved ones.
8. Write your gratitude journal or start a new one
Benefits associated with gratitude include increased happiness and life satisfaction, decreased materialism, and better psychological and physical health. [1]
You can start straight away tomorrow by simply sitting down first thing in the morning and writing down 3 to 5 things that you feel grateful for.
It has been a few challenging years for many of us, but we all still have a lot to be thankful for. If you need more guidance on how to start, here is a short guide from UC Berkeley’s Greater Good Science Center.
9. Reflect on your past year and do a bit of planning for the next year or even your long-term future
If you’ve set your New Year’s resolutions in the past and failed to keep them, this post will show you how to set and nail your New Year’s resolutions successfully this year, please check it out.
These are also things that I plan to do this holiday with a focus on spending time with my family and planning for the next year.
Again, wish you all a great holiday and a fantastic year ahead!
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
If you find this post helpful, please consider sharing this post and our site with your family, friends, and followers. That would be much appreciated. Please also check out our library of articles on the carnivore diet here which is updated regularly.
Disclaimer: The information in this post is for reference purposes only and is not intended to constitute or replace professional medical advice. Please consult a qualified medical professional before making any changes to your diet or lifestyle. Please check out our disclaimer for more detail.