Thanks to Busy Girl/Mom, Nancy for sharing her tips with all of us! Nancy is a very BUSY mother of 5 who holds down the fort, has a demanding business and is an incredible transformation story! I think you will love hearing her tips below. Be sure to look at her jaw dropping before and afters on her site! Can you say inspirational hot momma?
Busy Fit Mom Holiday Survival Tips
As we all know holidays can be super hectic and oh so stressful, especially when you have children. Making it through in one piece, with your mental game still intact is a feat in itself. Here are my 5 tips for coming out of the Holidays stress free and feeling great!
- SLEEP! This is one of the hardest things for a mother to acquire. Not only are we running around not knowing which direction to go first but we are often times dealing with activities, shorter days, sick children and more demands which makes everything a bit tough. Add children and we all know that lack of sleep really takes its toll on our mental and physical being. Schedule your sleep just as you schedule things for your children. Make it a habit to not allow the craziness of the holidays take over and really focus on your own needs as well as everyone else’s.
- Proper Nutrition! We all hear this so often but it is so true, especially during the Holidays. When you eat food that is not nutrient dense and full of the vitamins and minerals needed for optimum performance you cannot deal with many other things. What we eat affects mood, sleep, activity levels and our body image. If you eat great and really make an effort to give the body what it needs, you won’t crave things that make you feel worse or make you crash. You won’t see yourself as someone you don’t know anymore. You will feel great even if you feel like you are not where you want your body to be. Eat well and you will have the energy and mental clarity to hit January ready to go!
- Time alone! We all know that with children there are those days where you want to go hide in a closet or change your name. Time alone or a night out with your spouse is crucial for having that much needed downtime to recharge, reflect and take time for you. Sure we need to be there for our children but we are better parents when we take at least one day a week and spend that without any distractions. Even if you go sit in peace at the local coffee shop, go enjoy doing nothing.
- Friends! Oh how so many of us can relate to this one. We become mothers and life takes over. Many of us are doing all we can to just be that mother we envisioned when we dreamed about having children and a family. Very often friends get left behind and having that bond is so important, especially when you feel like you are giving of yourself all day with nothing in return. Even if your friends are “virtual” friends, make time to support each other and share things going on in your life. It really helps keep everything in perspective and allows you to realize that you are not alone in a world that seems very alone, sometimes as a parent.
- I think you all know what is next! EXERCISE! Wow is this one tough to achieve when this time of year hits. Not only do you need to make time for all I mentioned above, now you have to find time to get those endorphins going and make time for you. There is no better feeling than feeling like you have control and have a way to release stress. It’s not easy to hit the gym or workout for an hour each day but with shorter days and more time indoors it is so important to get out and breathe in some fresh air and at least get your heart rate up (with exercise) 😉 to really allow your body to release the stress. If you can get to the gym, great but if not at least get out and go for a walk. Something is better than nothing!
Remember that you cannot be your best and give all of you if you don’t take the much needed time to rest, reflect and recharge!
Happy Holidays to all!
Nancy Reinheardt
For more about Nancy and to see her amazing transformation, go to www.nancyreinhardt.com
