Thanksgiving kicks off the holiday season, the time of gathering with friends and family. At Alltrust, we understand how easy it is to get caught up in the excitement and get carried away with overeating and drinking. Our partnership with eMindful has encouraged us to instill a sense of mindfulness during the holiday season. Instead of feeling guilty about your Thanksgiving day consumption, enjoy the time with your loved ones. This season is all about being happy and thankful. We want the focus to be on family and friends and not stressing about the foods you’re eating. Here are a few tips and tricks to enjoying the holiday season without overindulging.
Start the day with a good breakfast
Don’t skip out on breakfast to ‘save up’ for the big upcoming feast. Many people begin the day with the mindset of balancing out the heavy holiday meal by not eating breakfast, thinking it won’t cause you to gain weight. This practice actually causes you to overeat. By the time the meal occurs, you’re very hungry and eat too much too quickly. If you come to the meal having eaten a satisfying breakfast, you’re less likely to overdo it at the dinner table. Planning ahead with a breakfast meal in mind will allow you to make smarter and more conscious decisions when the bigger meal comes.
Use your five senses
Slow down and smell the turkey roasting. Time really flies by during the holidays and it’s easy to let it pass by. Using your five senses allows you to soak everything up. Smell all the different savory aromas around you. Hear all the guests chattering in each room. Taste the delicious foods that were made with love. Take in the sight of all your loved ones surrounded by beautiful holiday decor. Feel the different textures of the tablecloth, plates, linens. Try staying in the present to appreciate the holiday experience.
Really give thanks
Find gratitude in the meal with your loved ones. It’s easy to get swept up in all the holiday excitement. Incorporate a way to practice gratitude, whether it’s writing down what you’re thankful for, saying a thankful prayer before the meal, journaling your feelings of gratitude, or verbalizing it to all your loved ones surrounding you. It’s also a great time to say thanks to everyone who helped put the holiday together, the grocery store workers, farmers, delivery drivers, and anyone who helped prepare the delicious foods. Having gratitude on your mind will also help you savor the holiday.
Encourage movement
It’s easy to plop yourself at the table or couch and spend the day stagnant. Instead, take a nice walk around the block with your loved ones. Or stand in the kitchen to offer a helping hand. Walk around the house making sure everyone is doing okay. Moving throughout the day will help you feel less bloated and promote comfortable digestion. Having your family and friends do the same will make it easy for you to partake. Moving your body can also relieve any stress associated with the holidays.
Practice portion control
It can be second nature during a holiday meal to just fill our plates to the brim with our favorite foods. Having huge piles of food will make us want to eat every morsel. This is where mindful eating will really come into play. Try to portion out smaller amounts of each food on your plate and take small bites. Using mindful eating practices allows you to still enjoy all the delicious foods without the guilt of indulging in ‘bad’ foods.
Savor the meal
Slow down and enjoy each bite of your holiday meal. Savoring the meal will lead to a more satisfying experience rather than stuffing your face with as much food as possible. Focus on the flavors and textures while eating. Portion control also plays a part in savoring the meal. With savoring smaller portions, you’re more likely to be more thankful for the food in front of you. Ditch any guilty feelings you might have towards any foods you feel are unhealthy or bad and appreciate the foods and time with your loved ones.
Check-in with yourself
Take a minute to check in with yourself to see how full you really are. When we’re sitting with loved ones eating our meal, we don’t really pay attention to how full we’re getting. It’s helpful to use a scale of 1 – 10 to rate your fullness. 1 means you are feeling starved and 10 means you can’t handle another bite. It’s ideal to stay in the middle to keep you comfortable and to encourage easier digestion. Use this scale throughout the day to manage your fullness, you can even schedule check-ins so you’re sure to assess your appetite the entire day.
A Mindful Holiday Season
We understand that the holiday season can also be a very stressful time for some. Including some mindful practices can help ease that stress and prevent any overindulging. The holidays are centered around food, family, and gratitude; and with mindful practices, you’ll be more aware and present in the moment with your loved ones. This year, take a few for yourself during the family get-together and give yourself a break. The benefits of utilizing these mindful tips will ensure happy and healthy holidays.
At Alltrust, we advocate for mindful practices year-round, but especially during the holidays. We’ve partnered with eMindful, which has given us the tools to bring mindfulness to all our employees and clients. eMindful shows you how to reinforce healthy habits and offers several ways to include mindful skills in your everyday life, before, during, and after the holidays.
At Alltrust, we want everyone to have a safe, mindful, and stress-free experience this holiday season.
