Resetting After a Big Festive Season

The Festive Season Aftermath

The festive season for everyone is a little bit different - I've had friends visiting, lots of catch ups, a few less evening gym sessions and a couple of later nights - and that's perfectly okay! Christmas Day in my family is often a really big day - all the cousins, their children, their partners' families and often a couple of dogs and a giant trestle table packed full of every delicious food you can possibly imagine. I spend twelve months dreaming of my cousins' duck fat potatoes until I can eat them again! This year will look a little quieter, spending time with just my father and grandmother and a simple meal - and that to me is a perfect Christmas.

I have friends who are travelling on Christmas Day, friends who do a fancy hotel buffet, and others who don't celebrate at all - the festive season is truly different for everybody.

If you're someone who's taking off the period between Christmas and the new year there's a lot of extra time to eat delicious leftovers, take afternoon naps and spend time with family and friends.

A great way to catch up especially when the sun is shining is with an outdoor activity. Meet your friends with their kids at the park to run around? A weekend coffee and beach walk with your bestie? Both of these are relatively low cost as well, and can help to bring a bit of balance back into your routine before you're knuckling back down.

When it's time to reset

Before you know it, the festive season will be over, holidays will be wrapping up and you'll need to set the dreaded alarm again.

But - hopefully you've savoured every moment of socialising, slowing down a little and eating a few extra little treats. 😴🎄

So, a reset. What is a reset?

Just like the festive season, it can look different for everyone - there's no set rules or guidelines.

It's important though to frame a reset as something good and positive, not a punishment. The language you use is important - instead of "I need to work extra hard to work off all the Christmas pudding" it should be more in line with "I need to reassess and realign my goals to be the best version of myself I can be".

Think about your year, what you want to leave behind and what you want to bring forward.

What do I want to leave behind?

Often people start a yearly reset with wanting to become a whole new person - starting a brand new routine, leaving behind every bad habits etc. And while it's great to go in with ambitious goals, it's important to make sure you have things that are attainable and achievable.

To throw some stats at you… 80% of people forget their New Year's resolutions by February (Nonterah, C., 2021). A common reason for this is the goal/goals are too ambitious and not achievable.

If you haven't achieved that thing this year, maybe think about ways you can achieve it next year. Set attainable targets and work towards them - it'll make that goal feel like it's achievable and give you that little extra boost of motivation!

Think about what you want to leave behind and how to make that work. Research from the University College of London suggests that on average, it takes around 66 days or 10 weeks for something to become a habit (Lally, P. 2010) - so perhaps looking at setting some guidelines and goalposts to check in on what you're trying to change.

Look at what you want to leave behind and how to do it. It could be something simple, like finding easy excuses to get out of a workout, or something like giving up a habit that's detrimental to your overall health and fitness goals. Chat with friends and trusted health professionals, do some online research and make tangible steps towards what that will look like.

Okay now let's take action! Where do we start?

It might sound a little bit overwhelming - and that's okay!

You need to try your best to set your intentions in a quiet space and with a clear mind - and that can be achieved in a variety of ways.

Here's a few tips on how to set yourself up so you're able to reset:

So here we are... right on track for a whole new year!

Whether you're reading this before Christmas Day or after the start of the year - that's okay. If you're tired and sluggish, or you're bouncing with energy and ready to go it's time to set yourself up for success.

Keep in mind what your goals are when you're enjoying yourself in the festivities, and you'll be well on your way to a great year ahead.

Let's start setting goals

The goals you should set are very personal to you - maybe you're wanting a career change, to save to buy a car - or you're just wanting to live more mindfully.

1. Sleep

Sleep debt is a real thing! And while you can definitely "make up" missed hours, it can often leave you feeling groggier and struggling to get back into a normal sleeping pattern.

Aim to try and sleep for between 7 and 9 hours, especially when you've been busy socialising with family and friends! If you've had enough sleep, you'll be in a better position to start achieving your goals with a clear mind.

Also - a lack of sleep can be a direct correlation to an increase in caloric intake. (Everyday Health, 2022) So if one of your goals for the new year is weight loss related, it's important to prioritise catching some z's!

2. Drinking

It's definitely easy to get caught up with drinking more alcohol than normal during the festive season. One of the best recommendations is to alternate alcoholic drinks with something like water to help keep you hydrated if you're in a situation that 'requires' alcohol!

Where you can, put down the alcoholic and/or sugary drinks, and grab a bottle of water and aim for at least two litres a day.

If you've still got a sweet drink craving, try out our Protein Water! It gives you a good protein boost in a range of delicious flavours.

3. Endorphins

"Exercise gives you endorphins, endorphins make you happy!" - Elle Woods in Legally Blonde (and the second half of that quote is the best part!)

If you aren't feeling too great for whatever the reason is, whether it's indulging or you've got the Sunday Scaries big time ahead of returning to work, taking a break to do some exercise can help combat the blues.

Head outside, head to the gym, chuck on a free workout video from YouTube - whatever takes your fancy! Get in some movement and some endorphins and things will often feel a little lighter.

4. Eat Well

'Tis the season to treat yourself - just in moderation if you can!

Eat healthy, wholesome foods and find what works for you. Whether you're an intuitive eater, track your macros, enjoy intermittent fasting or follow a high protein diet, do what works for you and your body to help you feel at your best performing level.

Now isn’t the time to skip meals, restrict or try fad diets.

Supplements to support your reset!

Protein is a great way to help you feel fuller for longer, and help you recover from workouts - particularly handy if you find yourself playing catchup on the gym after a few days off!

Need a kick to help you get back into the gym? Try out one of our great Pre Workout 101 flavours and enjoy the boost to your gym game.

Having healthy snacks ready to grab when you've got that sweet tooth craving is a great way to go! Our Protein Bars make an excellent alternative to a chocolate bar and fit perfectly in even the smallest of handbags!

If you're an even bigger sweet tooth and love a tasty dessert, take a look at the recipes on our blog - there's just about everything you could think of and more!