As 2021 draws to a close, many of us are making preparations around Christmas and the festive season. After a challenging year and enduring an extended lockdown, we are all looking forward to celebrations with family and friends. However, the festive season can also be an overwhelming period, consuming large amounts of food and sometimes drinking more alcohol than intended. It can be easy to get lost in the moment of having a good time and forget to put limits on food and drink, which can affect health and well-being going into the New Year. So, the Co.As.It. Drug & Alcohol program have prepared some tips to help you find balance in the festive season.
Tip 1: Pace yourself
It can be easy to overindulge when you find yourself booked in for a brunch, lunch and dinner within the same day. Even though it may be tempting to say yes to lots of different social events and invitations, it is also important to pace yourself. Being intentional about how many social commitments you are making in a short space of time can help with finding balance in the festive season. Between various events, try to leave space to rest, have some quiet alone time and get some sleep. This will help you feel less stressed and increase your enjoyment of the festive season.
Tip 2: Practice mindfulness
If it is not possible to say no to an invitation, then you can practice mindfulness at events. Mindfulness is awareness of the present moment, and allows you to focus intentionally on your choices. For example, mindful consuming would be deciding to eat and drink less at a lunch if you will be going to a dinner that night. While you are eating and drinking, you can practice mindfulness by trying to focus on the delicious flavours and completely savour the meal. This mindful awareness will help you appreciate the moment more and stop you unconsciously reaching for another drink or food portion.
Tip 3: Ask for support
While many of us have good intentions around maintaining balance in the festive season, we still can forget our limits or to practice mindfulness. Which is why it can be helpful to ask for support from a friend or family member. Sometimes, we need external motivation to help guide our decisions and a gentle reminder from a friend or encouragement from a family member can really help. Additionally, we can turn to professional support if we think we might need more assistance with balancing our food and alcohol consumption, such as the Co.As.It. mental health program. Either way, having the support of others (and helping them too) is a great way to find balance during the festive season.
We hope these tips help you feel more prepared leading into the busy festive season. If you would like to learn more about how Co.As.It. can help with your health and well-being, please do not hesitate to contact us on 9564 0744 or email info@coasit.org.au. We hope that you have a balanced and enjoyable festive season!
