3 tips how to spend Christmas without stress and regrets

Can you smell the cinnamon, vanilla, honey and all the other magical smells of Christmas? To be honest, in the adult world, celebrating Christmas is more about the food than the presents ;). Besides food and gifts, it is also about family reunions, peace and love. It’s a time when our daily rhythms slow down and we can finally sit down, chat, enjoy some Christmas goodies and warm up with mulled wine and punch.

For some, these moments bring pleasure and joy to their lives. But there are others for whom it means more stress and worry. In today’s world of social media and the pursuit of perfection, where everyone is thin, beautiful and perfect, it’s hard to give up the enjoyment of food – especially when we don’t eat the healthiest food at Christmas. Young girls often fall into a deep depression and worry that they have overeaten, that the needle on the scale shows them two kilograms more than their normal weight, that they are fat, overweight, and that they can no longer put on leggings size XS. It may sound far-fetched, but imagine eating more than you originally wanted and feeling remorseful. By the time the food runs out, you feel overfed and tell yourself that you really didn’t need to do that. Those who live an active lifestyle immediately want to compensate with more intense workouts, additional cardio training and a day without carbs and even fasting.

But the truth is that being a maximalist and perfectionist at all costs doesn’t always pay off. On the contrary, perfectionism often has a very negative effect on the psyche, because as soon as you deviate even a little bit from what you consider ‘perfect’, you fall into a vicious circle of self-blame for failure. But you didn’t! You’re a man. Man is a social creature by nature. And the most important thing about celebrating Christmas is getting together and eating! :) Food has always been one of the elements of creating and maintaining social bonds. Food is about joy and pleasure, not failure. If you enjoy a few cookies, a turkey with baked potatoes, nothing serious happens. You won’t gain five kilograms right away, although maybe the scale will logically show more after such a feast. But food has its own weight. ;) However, it doesn’t mean that this number is freshly created adipose tissue. It is the accumulated water to which mainly simple sugars and carbohydrates are bound.

So just take a deep breath and breathe out because nothing is happening!

Don’t count calories at Christmas, count them another time. Now switch off, relax, don’t limit yourself and above all enjoy these moments of well-being! And to make the most of it, here are some tips to help your soul enjoy Christmas :)

1. Don't panic!

“Just the thought of having to eat cakes and fried food at my grandmother’s makes me nervous and scared that I’ll get fat and immediately ruin my progress.”

Or is that what I think? Your body needs to reset, too. It’s nice that you’ve been dieting for a whole year, working hard, making progress, shaping your body, but when your body gets used to this regimen, you can do anything, but your progress starts to stagnate. So if you do indulge at Christmas, think of it as recharging your batteries, regenerating, recharging your energy, speeding up your metabolism – because you’re ‘shocking’ your body with something it’s not used to – and thus rebooting your performance, energy reserves and, most importantly, your motivation! 

2. Rest actively!

Just because it’s the holidays doesn’t mean you have to stuff yourself all the time. Go for a walk with your family, friends, boyfriend or girlfriend, walk the dog, take a little hike up the hill, visit the gym with friends and have a Christmas training with friends and treat yourself to something tasty and Christmassy afterwards. Even a simple Christmas clean-up has its charm when you put on your favourite playlist to kick-start you every time.

3. Switch off!

Switch off your body and mind. Relax, do things you haven’t had the opportunity and time to do during the year. Make yourself happy and give yourself one full day. Treat yourself to a bath, a hair wrap, a manicure, cook your favorite meal and bake your favorite Christmas cookies... And above all, make the most of the day you give yourself.

It has been well said that Christmas is a holiday of peace and joy. Enjoy the peace of mind. Rejoice in the important little things, like sharing a meal with loved ones, and enjoy the atmosphere of the most wonderful holiday of the year. After Christmas you will have a beautiful figure, because the joy of the moment has never spoiled anyone’s year-long work. Quite the contrary. You will see how much new mental strength you gain when you enrich yourself with such precious moments and forget about stress.

We wish you a wonderful and tasty Christmas!