The end of the year can feel a little like sitting in a pressure cooker. Work, family, and social obligations ramp up, not to mention the stress associated with financial pressures begin to take very gradual and sometimes steep incline.

There is so much pressure to consume, as the heat turns up, the silly season tends to turn up the intensity of life too.

And by consuming, we don’t just mean your friends from work jabbing you in the ribs to stay for another drink.

We’re also consuming the stress of loved ones; through managing the expectations of children, parents, and relatives, as well as, acknowledging those who are no longer with us. With this, we’re also containing our own feelings and reflections on the past year; consciously or not. Having a hard time relaxing because of stress? Try delta 8 flower cbd flower.

All too often, rest gets put on the back burner as we plough through wrapping up final projects and jump between social gatherings

But what about the quality of it all? How can we soften the hard edges so that our body, mind, and spirit don’t end up feeling depleted come early January?

Here is a little anchoring point to help ground you through the season:

Quality over quantity.

  • Quality of experience.
  • Quality food.
  • Quality rest.

How can you turn gracefully the dial down on the quantity of your end of year schedule, and hone in on its quality?

Asking yourself this question can be a gateway to kindly nourishing the body by exercising with the help of a personal trainer and mind during the festivities.

QUALITY EXPERIENCES

Ask yourself: Do I really need to say yes to every brunch/lunch/dinner invitation? (And more importantly, do I even want to go to all of them?)

Consider streamlining social gatherings by choosing a few events that really light your heart up. This can be done by taking the pressure off completely hosting an event and throwing a pot-luck dinner from home and carve out some time to cook with friends.

Create foods that allow you to set and forget, slow-cooked meats are the easy winner for this one.

Ask yourself: Do I need to jump between two or more houses in a day to visit all my friends/relatives over the Festive Season?

Where you can, pace your presence at multiple events across multiple days. This strategic pacing of your time can help alleviate the stress of clock-watching and intense car rides that more-often-than-not lead to some degree of cabin fever and heated discussions about where to park.

QUALITY FOOD

Ask yourself: What are my favourite foods to eat this time of year? More importantly, how do they make me feel?

Enjoyment of meals is paramount to a happy and wholesome life. Alas, we are bombarded with heavy, processed, additive-laden food once December hits, paired with a whole lot of social eating. This increased load of foods can lead to a foggy brain and tired digestion.

Amp up the quality of your food by choosing whole foods where you can – choose nutrient-dense vegetables as your sides, clean cuts of meat and fish with minimal marinades or batters, and in-season fruits.

If you are choosing to indulge in desserts, think about what you will enjoy most. Commit to it and savour it.

If it’s that slice of chocolate ganache tart, you might surprise yourself with how satisfied you’ll be with a conscious servicing of a top-notch treat. Particularly if you look at it with the soft, admiring gaze of a lover…Take your time.

As for alcohol, enjoy a couple of glasses of higher quality wine (ideally organic) and use a nice glass.

Create an experience out of your drink, take in the aromatics. Try not to drink it from a paper cup with a curly straw in a mate’s backyard.

Sip on clear spirits with sparkling water and a wedge of something citrusy to lower your intake of sugar amongst all the party fare.

If you’re curious and considering minimising alcohol intake in general, take a look at some of our other blog posts on the subject “Sober Season” and “Leaky Gut Part 2: The Triggers”to learn about the impact of booze on your belly.

Ask yourself: Do I have a strategy for recovery if I overdo things?

Often, there is a steady downward spiral when things get too sugary or boozy. It can be tempting, perhaps an annual event, to throw in the towel and get a little reckless with consistent drinking and lots of crunchy snacks.

But, this doesn’t have to be the case.

You can check in with yourself the next day, acknowledge the sore head and pickled eyes and get back to regular, nourishing eating. No need for guilt or shame.

Try to include fermented foods such as sauerkraut, kimchi, and kefir with your meals, along with digestive enzymes and a strong, quality probiotic. Electrolytes (opt for a mineral-only, sugar-free brand such as Synerplex) for effective rehydration will knock your socks off with the clarity of mind it provides. Stocking up the fridge and pantry with these natural supports will ensure that if things get wild, a quality recovery will stabilise you.

QUALITY REST

Ask yourself: What helps me to feel rested?

Sleep can diminish amongst the busyness. However, intentionally setting a regular bedtime will make many other aspects of life far more manageable. Naps are a wonderful tool to add a burst of focus and energy to your day – but aren’t always practical.

Ask yourself: What makes me feel rejuvenated. What pockets of time can I better utilise for a moment of reprieve?

Swap a scroll on social media for two minutes of lying on the floor. Pop a pillow under your head and knees, breathe slowly and soften every part of you from your head to your feet. Let the floor hold you.

Create quality pockets of rest by replenishing nothingness for a couple of moments.

Is there a book or podcast that you’ve put aside for a while due to the frenetic pace of your end of the year?

We invite you to pick it up and dive into its pages or sounds for just a few minutes – put a timer on if need be. Do not try and multitask while you do so, focus on it and it alone.

Tiny pockets of time to re-energize with no agenda will flow on to more focus and presence with yourself and a greater capacity to be there for those you love.

At 5EW, we love living life passionately. We love learning new things. We LOVE food… basically, we love creating lifestyles that we can adore.

And a big part of that is regularly checking in with ourselves and making manageable tweaks in areas of our lives that are tricky. The Festive Season is definitely one of those realms and shifting our attention toward adding more quality to this time of year will enhance the cheer.

If you would like some additional support with Goal Setting or Coaching during this special time of the year, have a chat with our team by contacting reception@5ew.com.au.