Overcoming the temptations of overeating, overspending, and under-appreciating during this holiday season can be challenging. When it comes to the holidays, all of these issues tempt us more than usual. However, you’ll be pleased to discover that there are ways of coping with these stressful situations during the holidays.
Here are some ways to help you avoid the temptations so you can start the New Year happy and stress-free:
Overeating
When the holidays roll in, decorative and highly tempting food platters roll out to greet us with tantalizing turkeys, decked out hams, sides, and every dessert imaginable!
You know as well as I do that it’s really hard to pass on the food when it comes to Thanksgiving and Christmas. In many cases, even New Year’s Eve continues the scrumptious dinners and pastries.
Unless you want to be sporting a new bloat come the New Year, it’s important that you learn to resist the urge to indulge in too many of these foods.
To avoid overeating, try these tips:
- Avoid the urge to stockpile the food on your plate. Start with small helpings and eat your meal slowly.
- Have plenty to drink with your meal. In between bites, sip on a glass of ice cold water, low fat milk, or healthy juice. This can help fill you up quickly so you won’t be tempted by second and third helpings.
- Eat a healthy snack before going to a holiday party. Munching on fruits, vegetables or yogurt will help fill you up so you won’t be starving at the party.
Overspending
It’s so easy to spend more than you anticipate or can afford during the holidays. It’s important to budget your money appropriately so when the New Year comes along, you’re not burdened with debt.
Remember that you do not have to spend a lot on Christmas gifts! You can buy inexpensive gifts or create wonderful and precious homemade presents. No one wants you to go into debt buying gifts for them! Keep this in mind as you shop so you can limit your spending this holiday season.
These tips will also help you to avoid overspending:
- Use cash only. Leave your credit cards at home and only spend what you have in your wallet. It’s a wonderful feeling not to have large credit card bills in January!
- Chip in on a gift with another family member. If you know the perfect gift for dad is out of your budget, ask a sibling to split the cost with you.
- Make a list and stick to it. Only go into the stores where you know you’ll find your gift items and keep the focus on your list. If you don’t have a need to go to the electronics or clothing section of the store, then stay away.
- Set a strict budget. Setting a dollar amount for each item can also keep you focused and away from the more expensive gifts.
Ask yourself this: do your family and friends want you to be in debt for months, to give them a gift?
Under-Appreciation
Once the holiday season begins, it’s quite common to put wish lists together and forget about all the things we already have! Remember to be grateful this holiday season.
There are many things that we can be grateful for – our job, home, friends, family members, and more! Remember to be appreciative at all times and you’re more likely to enjoy the holiday season.
Christmas isn’t about what you can get or what you didn’t get. It’s a time for sharing and making warm memories together. The attitude that you end this year with is the attitude that you’ll start the New Year with.
A grateful attitude will bring more things in the New Year for you to be grateful for!
If past holidays brought too much temptation to overeat, overspend, and even to be a little greedy, you can make changes to your holiday season this year to avoid these temptations. The strategies listed in this article can bring you a happier and guilt-free holiday season.
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