Articles

The Thanksgiving holiday is here; it’s time for giving thanks, toasting togetherness, counting blessings, sipping cider, and enjoying a slice of something sweet. As much as the holidays bring enjoyment, they also present a higher level of stress and frenetic activity than other times of the year. This year, instead of worrying about derailing your healthy habits or commitment to movement, focus on enjoying the season in a balanced way that allows you to embrace the sweet and let go of the stress.

The holidays encompass all things but the concept of balance. We generally spend this time traveling, hosting, celebrating, cooking, entertaining, shopping, and — of course consuming. In short, the holidays are a time when we experience increased levels of stress. The stress is not all negative, but it is chronic from Thanksgiving through the New Year. Further, the hustle and bustle of the holidays and the packed schedules do not encourage much time for rest, recovery, and self-care. So how do we focus on creating balance? Is it possible? Is it realistic?

We all have our unique gifts — some are obvious and some less so. We also have “blind spots” or areas of weakness.