With the Christmas holiday less than a week away, I wonder how exhausted you are? By now you’ve most likely attended a few extra events to your normal weekly routine - a few Christmas parties or kids concerts, or Carol Services or end of year celebrations. You may (or may not) have completed your Christmas shopping! And you still have the Christmas Day lunches, Boxing Day catch ups and New Years Eve celebrations ahead. It’s certainly a busy time for many women, organising the logistics or running the show.
How do you cope? Do you love this time of year or dread it?
There are some women who thrive at this time of year? They love the variety, they thrive from the excitement, they look forward to the connections with friends and family. This busyness fuels their energy, getting them ready for the new year ahead. It’s a relief from the mundane everyday routine.
But there are others, who don’t look forward to it. They don’t like the lack of routine that comes with the holidays, they don’t like having to be sociable, they don’t cope very well with the stress and extra load. They finish the Christmas/New Year period feeling depleted and in need of a break or a desire to get back to a normal, uneventful routine.
Did you know that your genetics and current health may actually affect the way you view this time of year?
Each person has a unique biology, affecting not only your physical body but also the way your mind copes and thrives in certain situations. And whilst we are all unique we have similarities and common features to others. The way we handle busyness, relationships, and stress may be similar to some but different to others. Our food and lifestyle choices can also affect how we cope with the holiday season.
Take for example, Ashley, a paramedic and a busy mum with teens. She’s a bit shorter in height to the average woman with a medium build that is easy to tone. She loves the variety in her work; the rush of energy she has when on a call out. She’s the kind of woman that has always been active, always finding time in her busy schedule to fit in a HIIT class at the gym, or play netball with the girls. She’s enthusiastic and a great motivator, encouraging her teens to enjoy life. Summer is her favourite season, being outdoors and having fun. She’s strong willed and gets jobs done, but needs moments of rest to replenish her fuel tank throughout the day. She thrives on the variety of the holiday season, but to avoid burning out she needs a few beach days in the sun and ocean and will do best on a variety of small meals throughout the day, rather than a big lunch or dinner.
On the other hand we have Gerri, a short and round woman with thick fingers, wrists and feet. She’s a social worker with adult kids and elderly parents of her own whom she cares for. She always puts others' needs ahead of her own and has little time left to do anything for herself. She struggles with her weight and dreads the work Christmas party. She hosts the family Christmas lunches, taking care of everything, but deep down wishes someone would lend a hand. The holiday season can be draining for her but with love and gratitude from her family, through hugs and relaxed moments with the people who make her feel good, she will be resilient to the stress and start the new year strong. To help her feel energised, she needs plenty of vegetables and needs to avoid the all too tempting sweet treats and snacks.
And, then there’s Sasha, a tall and slender lady living with her partner. She’s a researcher and loves being alone. For her the holiday season is quite stressful. She doesn’t really like the lack of routine and hates noisy, Christmas parties. And the rich foods don’t agree with her sensitive gut. She’s happier curled up on a recliner, reading a novel, on the back deck, especially if it's warm and humid . Once the lead up to Christmas is done, she enjoys the quieter times with her partner to feel energised for the year ahead.
Each woman is different. Their bodies are different. Their mind is different. Their reaction to the holiday season is therefore different too. And each has a different way to cope with the holiday season. Much of this can be attributed to their genetics and the way in which their embryo developed, even before they were born. And so by understanding their biology and making choices over the holiday period that are best for them, they can all thrive, rather than start the new year depleted.
Do you resonate with Ashley? Or do you know a Gerri or a Sasha?
Would you like to feel different next year? Would you like to be energised throughout the holiday season?
Join my VIP Wailtist today, to learn more about my new program coming in early 2023 which will help you understand your uniqueness and how to thrive through the next holiday season.