Crowding Out
An approach to enjoy the Holiday Season
The season of festivities, magic & galore is here. Time to ring in the year and close out with a bang. Right? That's what's expected of you - to go all out because it's the party time of the year. With this expectation -almost considered the season's default behavior- it's hard to feel comfortable around boundaries or follow any routine.
Many who have adopted a healthier lifestyle may feel uneasily with the upcoming season. FOMO & Christmas Traditions make it hard to be 100% assertive with your health journey. You want to enjoy yourself but can't help feeling triggered by the thoughts of losing sleep, skipping workouts, eating out of healthy guidelines, etc. It's understandable to want the best of both worlds - yet not have a perfectly balanced solution. So here is a concept that may help you find an approach that can gap the bridge and help you enjoy the galore without compromising your health journey - It's all about Crowding Out.
Keep reading if you want to approach this season with the joyful sustainability of your health journey progress.
What happens when you "Crowd Out"?
Yes, it's a fact that the Holidays leave very little room for health to take place. Lots of parties or social events may affect your quality of sleep, trigger stress, favor excess alcohol consumption, favor overconsumption of sugar, and less than ideal nutritional value meals. It's a time that leaves your energy depleted more often than not and, who wants to get a workout in if you are physically exhausted?
Also, nature's triggers - late sunrises & early sunsets | colder weather favor your body to stay put and conserve your energies, yet there is so much to do to keep up with the festivities. We are going against our natural rhythms in more than one way.
How do we leverage the playing field? By Crowding Out! It means making sure the healthy foods - the proper body fuel - are protagonists in the mix. It's not all about avoiding sugar or alcohol or restricting yourself to play a part in the festivities. It's about including the stuff that nurtures you in the mix. More fruits, vegetables, and water will naturally lead to less caffeine, sugar, and processed food.
By crowding out, you make sure to add the nutrients from the get-go. That way your body doesn't have to fight back with excess to keep up with the season.
Simple Math,
When you give the body less than ideal quality meals (sugar & processed food) it needs to overcompensate for the lack of nutrient value. Therefore you overindulge because the body needs more to sustain itself. Then comes the guilt, the body discomforts or sickness, the lack of energy that leaves you going back to comfort food to compensate for the emotional & physical imbalance. It can become a downward spiral real quick.
It can be a no-pressure holiday season!
If you want to enjoy the season, go to the parties, dance, and laugh the nights away, savor the treats but not affect your healthy lifestyle GO FOR IT the ditch the restrictive mentality.
The restrictive mentality triggers a less resilient mechanism in the body. It favors a hyperfocus spiral around the restrictions which ultimately leads to giving in to the undesired behavior. This way of approaching the holidays is unhealthy and leaves you with an emotional response that does not respond to your objective of enjoying the festivities in the first place.
By proactively prioritizing healthy bits at every aspect of and around the festivities, you can support your goal of enjoying the holidays while honoring your health journey.
If at a party, don't be so focused on restricting yourself from alcohol or sweets. Better yet, focus on having a well-rounded meal, including water every so often, and going to the things that bring you joy. If your body gets the nurturing needs met, it will not trigger a craving response. By consequence, you'll be able to make mindful & intentional choices that respond to your wants. Not involuntary behavior triggered by expectations of others or the season.
Doesn't this sound like a win-win? It seems easier to sustain without sacrificing sanity or pleasure?
Quick Survey:
Shifts to Create Balance During the Holidays
If you want to take the pressure off trying to be healthy & enjoy the festivities, try the following shifts:
If these shifts resonate with you and you want to take them a step further, reach out! It's time to enjoy the Holidays differently. Let's jump into a Discovery Session and explore all the possibilities to sustain your health journey even when the context is less than ideal.
From my journey to yours
Crowding out is contagious!
Years ago I wouldn't be caught eating a vegetable. Corn & potatoes barely make the cut. But when my health was on the line not eating vegetables was not a viable option. So the concept of Crowding out became my go-to approach for switching or modifying my eating preferences. As I noticed it worked, two years later I cant have a meal without its vegetable portion and it's my preference, I started adopting it to other aspects of my health.
I have applied this to working out & stress management. So far so good. It's not about restricting myself to the healthiest behavior only, but it's making sure that there is a health-supporting action every day in any way possible. I don't always get to work out in the gym or 40 minutes plus routine, but there is always movement in my day. It's not realistic to live a stress-free life, but I'm always proactively working on regulating my nervous system response.
By crowding out I always find options. For me, it's a sustainable approach that has helped me support a healthy a balanced lifestyle I enjoy living. I believe it can help others find their ideal lifestyle if they put in the effort and commit to the objective. Would you be willing to try it?
Until Next One!
Stay happy, stay healthy, Stay BALANCED,
