Getting Prepared this Holiday Season: Excess isn't Progress

The holiday season officially starts with Thanksgiving. How can you overcome the stress?

Let's start with Thanksgiving and as the holidays progress, more helpful hints will become available. The stress first starts with the prototypical over-indulging on Thanksgiving Day. For many, this is a day of gluttony rather than being a day of thanks. As cooks stress over creating the perfect dinner, the rest of the family eagerly awaits the time to eat; laying around watching football while the bird cooks. Once the meal is served, everyone digs in and eats to the point of overeating. They may or may not give thanks but surely complain about how stuffed they are.

This is not in line with the holiday tradition of being thankful for what you have, regardless of how big your turkey is, if you have turkey at all! This Thanksgiving, whether you state your thanks to a group or just to yourself, be thankful for anything and everything you want to be thankful for. It could be as simple as the sweater you’re wearing, not overeating, or simply being thankful that you’re healthy or have the ability to see yourself in the mirror. Be thankful for all things in your life that bring you joy and you’ll feel like you’re celebrating the spirit of Thanksgiving when you're not discussing how much food you ate when you return to work. If you’re having difficulty finding simplicity and serenity in the chaos of the holidays or are on a mission to maintain your weight as you attend all of the upcoming holiday parties, maybe you need to nudge yourself to success.