Wellbeing Tips
What if you took advantage of the holidays to take a break and start over in January?
Whether the year was difficult or not, you may have wanted to refocus on your health. A personal weight management goal, or more activity and better sleep require a lot of concentration and commitment. To make sure you get the best start in January, here’s how to intentionally take time to do less.
Forget (a little) about your weight goals
Are you dreading family meals and delicate but rather high-calorie dishes? Take a breath, everything will be fine! Keep weighing yourself, but don’t panic if you see the curve rising a little: it’s normal! You’ll have plenty of time to get serious in January. Vibkeke, a member of our Withings Activity Mates Facebook group doesn’t slow down but goes into a different gear, saying, “I weigh myself sometimes, but not too often during this period. When I weigh myself, I do it to see if it is water because of some of the food I have eaten, and if I stay on track.
My best advice for handling holiday stress is not to say ‘yes’ to everything. In that way you can do what’s good for you. For me that is daily workouts.”
Don’t stress over exercise
You can’t go for a walk or a run as you usually do? If you’re a little less active for a couple of weeks, that probably won’t stop you from finding a few moments to get away. And then the hunt for gifts in the stores, the digestive walk after dinner. All these opportunities will preserve your abilities. It’s also a good time to suggest sports outings to your loved ones. Who could refuse a trip to the ice rink? Alan, another Withings Facebook group member, says he weighs himself and maintains a food diary, but has great advice on how to chill. He says, “Schedule time for yourself and at least get out for a walk. Don’t stress over the reality that you will back up a bit during this seasonal time.”
Expect sleep disruptions but enjoy the gift of naps
Between the good meals, the emotions of the holidays, the changes in bedtime and wake-up time, it is quite normal that you are a bit “out of sync” and that your sleep is less restful. Once again, don’t worry, you will return to a normal rhythm after the holidays. You can always take advantage of the post-festival torpor to take a good nap after lunch if you feel too tired. We had some short and sweet advice from community member Gregory, who says, “Go for walks and try to switch off…” —great advice and since we’re talking about sleep, in this case, we’ll take “switch off” to mean the light.
Take care of yourself
Before you head into the new year, remember that this is supposed to be a joyful time. Robert, a group member who always racks up impressive activity results, is a big Withings booster who has also overcome major health challenges. He says, “Focus on today, weigh yourself so that you can remind yourself how important it is to stay healthy. Stress? Just breathe. Bring your gear (Withings) and most importantly bring two pairs of running/walking shoes everywhere you go. Be ready to live, be ready to laugh and be ready to run.”
This is the time to think about yourself, think about what you love, and take time to power up your resolve on your own or with loved ones. This will allow you to have your batteries fully charged before switching on all those New Year’s resolutions.
The entire WITHINGS community wishes you a very happy, healthy holiday season as we head into 2022.