A Tip For Avoiding Holiday Stress (and Emotional Eating)

Savoring and the things you really do have to do

Here's a quick coaching tip to help you avoid some holiday stress and increase your enjoyment of this busy holiday season:

What are the holiday activities and rituals that you enjoy? The ones that revitalize you or give you a peaceful feeling, or that you look forward to each year? Take the time—now—to make a list of your holiday “musts.” Not the “have tos” but the “this is what makes it all worthwhile” experiences.

Now (yes now!) take out your calendar and make sure you have them all prominently scheduled. Don’t just count on them to happen naturally. These “musts” are important. Your holiday joy and energy is going to flow from these experiences and the feelings they generate. Take some time to think about how you can maximize these experiences—how can you savor them fully or increase your ability to focus on them.

Savoring is often the variable that makes the difference between a delightful, soul-warming experience and overindulgence. When we are savoring—whether it is savoring music or good company or your Aunt Mabel’s special recipe—we are nourishing ourselves. When we aren’t tuned in enough to savor, we’re just taking it in. We are much more likely to end up tired, over-stimulated, worn out, and with a sugar hangover.

So what would it take to savor the “musts” on your list even more than you already do?

Would it require blocking out more time so you won’t have to rush? Planning something in advance? Delegating? Saying “no” to some other things so you have energy to enjoy the important experience?

I challenge you to take the top three experiences you selected and come up with one thing you could do, ask for, or not do that would make the experience even better.

Melissa McCreery, PhD is the founder of Enduring Change Coaching, a company that specializes in helping people worldwide take control of their relationship with food, overeating and their weight. She loves to work with bariatric patients and has developed specialized programs and resources for weight loss surgery patients struggling with emotional eating. Learn more about the brand new 8-week Your Holiday Health Club program designed to help participants stay on track with food and weight loss goals while minimizing overwhelm and stress during the holiday season.