Easy Tips to Celebrating the Holidays

Below is an article I wrote which has been published in various publications:

Easy tips to celebrating the holidays.
(from inside a food addict’s world)

You look great! You have been in charge of your eating and exercising all year and you love the way you feel.

Now, with your renewed confidence, you open your first holiday invitation for the season!

Are you ready? What is going through your mind….? Wouldn’t it be nice to enjoy the holidays without worries of losing control of your eating?

If you think you could use some support to get through this season, you are not alone. Most people with diet concerns struggle each holiday season, feeling frustrated and anxious.

Helen Burton, Get Off the Diet Merry-Go-Round Coach for individuals struggling with food, says, “The holidays have been reduced to getting things ‘done’ instead of taking care of ourselves.” Burton gently reminds her clients that “when self-care and self-kindness stop; sabotaging behaviors begin.”

Burton says her clients find this time of year very challenging. “Especially in our current world’s economic stress, many people are having difficulty making healthy food choices.

Burton has been working with clients for 6 years, helping them to build strong behavior habits that help control their eating. “We meet over the phone to strategize the challenges of their week and build strong coping skills. We have been preparing for the holidays since August!” Burton said.

This season, Coach Burton recommends a few easy tips to help you feel confident, before heading to your holiday parties. Use any combination of her ideas to help you enjoy a wonderful holiday season.

• Call the host a few days before the party to find out what they were serving.
• Plan what you will eat before going to the party.
• Put a ‘good luck rock’ in your pocket and touch it often to remind yourself that You are Special.
• Only, put food on your plate that you plan to eat.
• Do not go back for more food, under any circumstances.
• Pick two new people at the party you would like to get to know more about.
Introduce yourself!
• Slip outside or into the bathroom whenever you feel overwhelmed.
• Use Imagery. To help calm any anxiety, picture a bright light protecting yourself.
• Seek out friends at the party and ask for support.
• After the party, tell a friend or professional coach about the experience you had at the party. Talk about which behaviors worked successfully for you.
• Reward yourself by lightening a candle and listening to your favorite music before going to sleep.

With the right choices in behavior and surrounding yourself with supportive people, you can have a wonderful holiday season.

Make this time of year about meeting and spending quality time with people instead of focusing on the food. According to Burton, “All it just takes is a slightly different focus and things can be made easier.”

Action Step: Now it’s your turn!
How are you preparing for the holiday season? Do you have a tip that works well for you? Share it with Helen on her blog at www.theloveyourselfcoach.blogspot.com.

Wishing you a beautiful holiday season sprinkled with many happy memories!

Helen J. Burton, ACC, works with individuals who are tired of struggling with food. Register to receive more tips about how to be kind to yourself while Getting Off the Diet Merry-Go-Round at www.theloveyourselfcoach.blogspot.com.