How to Avoid the Guilt that Comes with Holiday Indulgences
We’ve all been there – the overwhelming excitement of time with family or friends. The mental preparation for your ‘cheat holiday’ or ‘cheat day’. Then there’s the dreaded morning after. Or if it’s the winter holiday season, maybe it’s a month after and you’re still ‘off track’. ’tis the season of holiday indulgences.
I went into this Labor Day after months of engaging in dedication to the pursuit of alcohol-free days and organic whole foods (ie. no indulgences) I was fully prepared to drink because I’d been doing really well, and I felt that a nice backyard party with some beers and BBQ felt like an amazingly good time. The beer was full of electrolytes (yes, that’s totally a thing) and I bought a high-quality prosecco. I made sure not to classify the holiday, in my mind, as ‘cheating’ because good, healthy balance in life is important. There’s literally nothing wrong with some drinks with friends in moderation!
Fast-forward to Tuesday morning. I felt like garbage. I didn’t have a hangover, but my body felt like it had been run over by a truck. I don’t process alcohol well and I never have. My body ached and immediately I felt regret. My mean girl started to hit me with a barrage of feelings: why didn’t I refrain from drinking? Why didn’t I just stay home and work all afternoon? Why didn’t I…the list goes on. However, the reasonable part of me knew that, with a little love and care, I’d be back to tip-top shape by the afternoon. The very first step was to stop my mean girl from berating me. I didn’t do anything wrong, and I actually had an amazingly calm and relaxing afternoon. There was zero point in any regret or punishment.
HOW TO AVOID GUILT AND GET BACK ON TRACK FAST
FLEXIBLE
The goal of a healthy life is having balance. That’s literally the key to living life to the fullest. When your body is feeling sluggish, the last thing you want to do is beat it and push it harder. Instead, take a little while to drink water and eat some fulfilling and nourishing food. Constantly reminding yourself that it’s not a big deal if you do indulge and that you did not do anything wrong.
The most important thing is to make the situation as light as possible; giggle at yourself if need be. If a little baby is learning to walk and stumbles, you wouldn’t get angry! You’d help them up and encourage them to try again with love and kindness. It’s not a catastrophe that you indulged, it’s simply a stumble. Treat it as such and move forward.
Just like one salad won’t make you healthy, one afternoon of drinking or indulgences doesn’t make you unhealthy.
BE KIND TO YOURSELF
Treat yourself with care and love. Remember, if your bestie was feeling iffy after a night of drinking you wouldn’t beat her down; you’d get her some water and curl up on the couch watching KUWTK until she felt better. Talk about indulgences! Or maybe your clarity and mindset are benefited by a nice run. Do something that will nourish your body with love. Absolutely DO NOT run because you feel guilty about the calories or you feel the need to punish your body into submission. Those are not the actions of care and love. Do whatever feels right and beneficial to show your body love.
CHECK OFF SOME JOY
The joy menu isn’t something we’ve talked about yet – but we will. In the meantime, what lights you up when you’re feeling down? Is it a mani/pedi? Maybe a really delicious latte? Or perhaps it’s going on a drive through nature. Whatever it is, take some time and do something that brings you joy. There’s literally everything right in telling your mean girl to f*** off by doing an activity that’s saturated in joy.
Affirmations to increase your road to recovery:
I approve of myself and my decisions
My mind is at peace because I treat my body with respect, love, and balance
I release the past, so I can step into the future with intention and purpose
Each moment in every breath is a fresh start, a clean slate, a new beginning
Today is the beginning of a brand-new cycle of positivity
I release my need to be “perfect”
I love to hear thoughts from my readers! What different techniques do you use to combat your feelings of guilt with self-love?
