Thriving Through the Holiday Season
The holidays are meant to be joyful but let’s be honest, they can also be chaotic and bring on stress. Between travel and family gatherings it’s easy to slip into survival mode and tell yourself you’ll get back on track in January.
The new year is a great time for reflection and reset, but you don’t need to hit pause on your health until January. The last two months of the year matter too. You can enjoy the season and feel good in your body at the same time. It’s all about setting realistic non-negotiables for your nutrition, movement, and mindset so you can show up as your best self now, not later.
Let’s dive into my favorite strategies, mindset shifts, and tools to help you move through the holidays with more intention, less guilt, and steady energy that actually lasts so you can kick off the near year feeling great.
1. Be Intentional With Travel (and don’t leave food to chance)
Traveling or visiting family doesn’t have to mean throwing all your healthy habits out the window. The key is preparation without perfection.
Some of my favorite travel non-negotiables include:
Pack snacks like nuts, protein bars, dried fruit and electrolytes
Stay hydrated
Eat how you normally do outside of the actual meal on the holiday
Organifi green and red juice are travel friendly ways you can ensure you will hit your fruit and veggie intake
2. Make Movement a Non-Negotiable
When your schedule is packed, structured workouts might not always happen and that’s okay. Focus on movement as medicine, not punishment.
Here are a few easy ways to keep moving through the season:
Schedule walks or work out classes sessions like calendar appointments
Take post-meal walks with family, it supports digestion and blood sugar balance
Have a friend keep you accountable by scheduling work out classes together or a time to walk
It’s not about doing more, it’s about staying connected to your body and consistency.
3. Nourish, Don’t Neglect
It’s easy to slip into all or nothing thinking during the holidays. Two common patterns are skipping meals to “save up” for later or feeling like one sweet treat means the whole day is a loss. But this mindset is what keeps your blood sugar and nervous system on a rollercoaster.
One meal or dessert doesn’t derail your progress, what matters most is how you support your body most of the time.
When you stay consistent with balanced meals, hydration, movement, and rest, your body has the resiliency to handle occasional indulgences without missing a beat. It’s not about perfection, it's about stability, flexibility, and learning to trust that you can enjoy the season and feel good in your body at the same time.
Keep your meals grounded and balanced:
Protein + carb + fat at meals to support energy and mood
Roots and fruits for fiber, minerals, and gut support
When it comes to sharing dishes, bring something you know will leave you feeling good so you don’t have to leave your food to chance
4. Protect Your Energy (and Nervous System)
The holiday season often pulls us in a hundred directions. The best way to keep your nervous system regulated? Create boundaries that protect your peace.
Try these:
Build in “buffer zones” between events or travel days
Schedule screen-free wind-down time before bed
Start your mornings with 2–3 minutes of breathwork or journaling to ground your energy before the day begins
Go outside and go for a walk for fresh air and alone time
Remember: saying no to one thing means saying yes to your own well-being.
5. Supplement Smartly
Here are a few targeted supplements that can help bridge the gap and support your body’s stress and digestion system:
Magnesium – for muscle relaxation, sleep, and regularity
Digestive bitters – before heavy meals to support stomach acid and bile flow
Adrenal cocktails or trace mineral drops – to replenish electrolytes and support stress resilience
Probiotics or prebiotic fiber – to keep your gut microbiome balanced through indulgent meals or travel
6. Redefine Self-Care (Without the Guilt)
If you feel selfish for prioritizing yourself during the holidays, you’re not alone. But remember - you can’t pour from an empty cup.
True self-care isn’t about spa days or saying no to dessert. It’s about doing the things that make you feel grounded, clear-headed, and able to show up for the people you love. You deserve to feel good now, not just when the calendar flips to January.
And remember: you don’t have to wait for a reset to start feeling like yourself again. The holidays can actually be an opportunity to practice consistency in imperfect conditions. Because if you can nourish yourself during the most chaotic time of year, you can do it any time.
