It's slowly getting colder and before the year draws to a close, the Christmas season awaits us.
The city centers and gardens shine under the Christmas lights and you can enjoy warm punch and Christmas baked goods .
Christmas is considered the festival of love, and spending this wonderful time with loved ones in harmony and peace is a special pleasure and even healing.
We know from studies that spending time with our relatives and friends , having beautiful parties and celebrating with family has a positive effect on us as humans.
These scientific articles show that healthy social interaction strengthens our mental and physical well-being .
Understandable - I would say.
With coffee and cake, roast and wine, pleasant conversations and even while unwrapping presents, it is easier to “let your soul unwind”.
We worry less and have fewer negative thoughts thanks to the pleasant time of year. It's not for nothing that many consider Christmas the most wonderful time of the year.
Due to the crisis we're currently experiencing worldwide, things are, of course, far from normal. This year, we'll have to celebrate Christmas under very special conditions for the second time. That's why I'm trying to navigate this time with even more mindfulness and awareness.
The storm before the calm
But does Christmas really just mean rest and relaxation for all of us?
Or is this particular highlight of the year a particularly stressful and stressful time for many of us? Just before Christmas, we sometimes find ourselves rushing from store to store, under extreme time pressure, with a long to-do list, trying to find something suitable for our loved ones. Even though we know full well that we shouldn't necessarily think materialistically when it comes to Christmas gifts.
We understandably ignore some valuable tips on how to pick up suitable gifts during the year, almost on the go. Who wants to think about winter and Christmas in the height of summer? We're, hopefully consciously, under the spell of the sun and warm weather.
So the exhausting hunt for gifts repeats itself year after year.
For many years I wondered whether I would benefit more from the Christmas season if I simply skipped these major efforts beforehand.
So just celebrate the peace, the relaxation, the togetherness and the good food, but without the rush and stress beforehand.
A bit of cherry-picking, you could say.
Of course, it took a few years, and I had to find alternatives. If you come empty-handed, you end up in the cheapskate department with your relatives.
But no, joking aside. More and more people around me are going through this development, and so we've agreed on a "grown-ups don't give gifts to grown-ups" principle. Hardly anyone sticks to it. The guilty conscience still plagues you.
In order to make peace with the inner spirit of giving, the good old “Engerl-Bengerl game”, also known as “Wichteln”, would be useful.
Everyone who should and wants to receive something writes their name on a slip of paper and drops it into a box. Then the names are drawn, and only that person receives something. This makes it manageable, more personal, and even more environmentally friendly.
A tough test for body and health
We sit on the couch, our bellies bulging, searching for room in the pit of our stomachs for one last cookie. The food is simply too delicious, and we enjoy feasting even more in a pleasant atmosphere.
I think I can say that many of us are familiar with this phenomenon and have already experienced it firsthand.
December, and especially the Christmas holidays, are a tough test for our inner demons , but also for our health. Often, the stress of Christmas preparations is followed by the stress of overeating, and then we immediately fall into the stress of losing the extra pounds . Not to mention the extra rolls from the lockdown.
Due to the pandemic and other factors, Austrians gained an average of 6 kg in 2020. A less than relaxing start to the new year.
Needless to say, going to the gym under duress also brings stress. Not everyone claps their hands with joy at the thought of monotonously lifting weights in a gym.
"If you want to be happy all the time, you must change often!" – at least, that's what Confucius said. For us, this means nothing other than that if we enter the Christmas season this year unchanged and with the same attitude, everything will just repeat itself. We'll be annoyed by the unpleasant stress in the run-up to the holiday season and the excessive overindulgence during it. And this year, the lockdown and other restrictions will make things doubly difficult for us.
Why not develop a small personal strategy in advance to minimize stress and keep the pounds in the cookie jar?
Don't get me wrong, feasting is still allowed, and for me, it's a must during this time of year. It's a key reason why Christmas is so beloved (for me). Let's think about a few ways to make this Christmas even more memorable!
Redefining Christmas
What does that mean, you ask? Christmas is already defined. There's almost a script for it. Maybe that's true, maybe not. Maybe it's not as rigid as we assume.
How about taking over the direction this year? Rewrite the script for this December! How about planning now how this month should unfold? Of course, including all the precautions to ensure the cookies stay in the tin and don't hang over your waistband like Christmas decorations.
Every change arises from an insight, becomes an idea, and from that, a plan emerges. Be the director of this Christmas and write your own script. Perhaps this will create an unforgettable film.
Your personal Christmas script
How should December and Christmas 2021 unfold? And how should they not?
Take a blank notebook and start with these two questions. I recommend that you start working on your script every night, once you're in bed.
Perhaps if it's successful, it will create a script for next year!
What should definitely happen this Christmas? I'll give you a few examples from my Christmas script . As you'll soon see, I need clear structures, so I've formulated concrete resolutions. Only then can I actually put them into action.
How to make Christmas 2021 a wonderful time for me:
- I want to spend the pre-Christmas period in peace and serenity
- I strive to have a pleasant and productive time working from home . The work gets done, but I don't put myself under pressure.
- I want to celebrate with my family in a pleasant atmosphere , without time pressure
- I want to feast mindfully ! I want to eat well and also indulge in unhealthy foods. To achieve this, I will deliberately fast to maintain balance.
- I want to respect my body's needs and even if the couch calls, I will move it to create balance
- This Christmas, the only time I'll be stressed is when I'm sitting on the losing bench in a board game
What I know from the past and don't want this December:
- This year I will neither surrender to shopping stress nor succumb to the gift madness
- I will skip the wrapping paper this year and use recyclable packaging (bags or boxes)
- I don't want to rush from festival to festival , but rather enjoy it in peace and quiet. I don't have to be there everywhere.
- I will not rely on quiet time and just sit around
- I will consciously watch television and not fall into the Christmas binge
Perhaps these suggestions will help you write your own personal Christmas script. Spend five minutes each evening doing this. It's an incredibly relaxing activity and even helps you fall asleep.
Please never forget, a script can change during the implementation .
Don't try to force yourself to stick to it. It's only meant to serve as a basic guide, and reality often makes it necessary to make some adjustments at short notice. Otherwise, all that will result is frustration, dissatisfaction, and stress. And that's not in the script.
“There is no path. The path is created by walking!” Antonio Machado once said.
Even if I have a plan, this saying takes the pressure off my project and I can approach it with ease. If something changes over the course of the weeks, that's okay, too.
I'll now tell you how I manage to implement this script.
Productive and happy in the home office
No, that's not a contradiction. For many, working from home is more of a nuisance than a pleasure. Many people miss their surroundings, their colleagues, and the opportunity to leave the house. That's understandable. And for others, it's a welcome change to be in their own four walls for once on a weekday. To be their own boss. Or almost. At least when it comes to scheduling.
And this, of course, is one of the great advantages of flexible working models of the future. Everyone can work from wherever they are, and when and for how long is up to them. The main thing is that the work gets done.
The well-known “ work-life balance ”, i.e. the attempt to maintain a healthy balance between work and leisure time, is becoming what is known as “ work-life blending ”.
Work and leisure are becoming more intertwined. This doesn't mean being available anytime, anywhere, and no longer having time for yourself. It means having a more flexible balance between professional and private time.
We can work for 2-3 hours and then go for a one-hour run in the woods . And if we're already tired of Excel spreadsheets and emails by 3 p.m. in the afternoon, we can spend the time with the kids. We can catch up on the work tomorrow. The work process is never finished. We just need to be smarter about scheduling it so we can meet the demands and still have plenty of free time.
Now, some of us are involuntarily working from home, and for many of us, this is still unfamiliar and brings with it various problems, especially in the run-up to Christmas. So here are a few tips on how you can optimize and enjoy your workday from home in December.
Remote work for more freedom
Remote work simply means working from a distance. While this was once known only for second jobs and additional income, you can now find many job advertisements with this term, even at large companies.
In principle, it's just about working, perhaps at a certain time, but definitely at the location of your choice.
Recently, I called a company's hotline. The person on the other end was very friendly and personable. Since it's a small company and they don't receive many "real calls," there was a bit of small talk.
During the conversation, it emerged that the Viennese call center agent in question is based in a dacha in Carinthia, near the Italian border. A dacha is simply a weekend home. He has rented it for the entire winter. The job is ongoing. For others, this may be unimportant information, but for me, it's like a gong in my brain.
Lockdown, the Christmas season, and family obligations don't allow me to escape to Carinthia, but I can decorate my apartment as if I were somewhere else. For example, during my breaks, I listen to Italian music. During my sitting breaks, which are active work breaks, I dance around the apartment, and for lunch, I make myself spaghetti Bolognese. I also go outside at least once a day, ideally into the forest. The Vienna Woods are just a five-minute walk away. In Vienna, you can reach wooded areas from anywhere within 30 minutes. It's wonderfully relaxing!
Stress out - thanks to good organization
When working from home, it's even more important to plan your day wisely. Otherwise, things quickly become chaotic and time flies.
When I establish routines, I am much more productive and satisfied.
Even if I don't have to go out, I have a set time to get up. I always start the day with meditation and a coffee on the balcony, even in winter.
Then office time begins, and I usually work for two hours on important topics, like my blog. Because that's when I'm still fresh and clear-headed. I prefer to deal with emails, etc., in the afternoon.
I also schedule breaks and sitting breaks, and try to move for a minute every 30-60 minutes. This keeps my brain and metabolism going. My daily exercise class is also already in my calendar in the morning, so there are no excuses.
Training is a fixed appointment; everything else has to wait. At home, I'm the boss.
Giving as a sign of love and friendship
The difficult thing about giving gifts is often that we don't know what to give. So we run like crazy through department stores and shopping streets searching for the perfect present for our loved ones.
We often end up buying too much or, unfortunately, useless things. Retail therefore experiences a second rush in January. On the one hand, vouchers are redeemed, and on the other, gifts are exchanged or returned.
In fact, statistics companies even have (pretty impressive) numbers for this.
For example, 16% of Christmas presents are exchanged. What's even more impressive is that 25% are simply passed on. About 22% of presents are put into storage, never to be seen again. And 2% are simply thrown away. That's pretty shocking. This means that about 65% of presents are actually completely useless to the recipient. Of the remaining 35% that are actually used, we don't even know how much they actually enjoy them.
For example, products purchased on Amazon are sometimes scrapped and returned. For many products, reconditioning for resale is completely unprofitable, and so the goods end up in the press. This happens not only on Amazon, but also in other retailers.
We must be clear that retailers aren't primarily to blame here. As the aforementioned statistics show, we ordered the unnecessary product or bought it in a store. Hygiene products, for example, are legally prohibited from being restocked by online giants. So tons of functional products end up in landfills every year. Just because we think we absolutely have to give something for Christmas.
In the end, Mother Nature pays the lion's share of this price.
Not to mention the wrapping paper. This is produced only to end up in the trash a short time later. A reusable gift bag or box would go a long way in resolving this. I go a step further and use recycled paper to wrap gifts. Of course, I sometimes get confused looks from relatives for this.
If you want to give a gift to someone close to you, you can also use the script tactic here.
Take some time and make notes about the person you want to give a gift to.
- What hobbies does she have?
- What did you see during your last visit to her apartment?
- Is she collecting anything?
- Does the person have something planned, such as a trip?
The person finds the gift, not the other way around.
I'll say it right away: this year I will only give illustrated books, meaning nice, large books.
Always tailored to the interests of the people around me. For example, my partner is getting a picture book about Japan. She loves this country, its culture, its landscapes, and its food. She's eager to visit Japan soon, and I want to encourage her desire.
I deliberately don't buy books with a lot of text. Instead, I buy books with large, beautiful pictures. You can lose yourself in them, relax, and dream. And maybe set new goals for yourself.
Keep moving over Christmas
We have to acknowledge one thing: these are catastrophic conditions for staying in shape. We're partially in lockdown, gyms are closed, and it's starting to get really cold outside.
But that shouldn't be an excuse. Because we know how difficult it is to lose those extra pounds in January. I can do without that stress after the cozy Christmas season.
We need a practical everyday strategy to stay in shape! We need to burn calories immediately and not store them in our fat cells.
If you're disciplined and do daily workouts under the Christmas tree, then hats off to you. But that's not easy for all of us. That's why I prefer to stick to a balanced training strategy that I can easily incorporate into my daily routine.
Here are my quick & dirty favorites to stay fit:
- Include sitting breaks. Our metabolism gets tired quickly and slows down after just 30 minutes. Break this spell and get up every now and then to do a few lunges or push-ups! The choice of exercise and the difficulty level don't matter; the main thing is that you set a stimulus.
- Farmers' carry from the supermarket ! Carrying things is something our bodies have evolved to do. We didn't always have cars and trolleys. This is how people used to stay fit even without a gym. Carry your shopping home in bags, use stairs instead of elevators, take breaks whenever you want, but use your time and tasks effectively!
There is more than enough to wear at Christmas.
- HIIT training, or high-intensity interval training, is already familiar to many amateur athletes. You can really push yourself in a short amount of time. You don't need a gym for that either.
Open the door and run up the stairs at a brisk pace. Walk back down slowly and repeat once or twice. This will take a few minutes and you probably won't even break a sweat, but you'll burn a few calories and pull yourself out of that couch coma.
- I also like to use this contemplative time for so-called "mental walks" in pleasant surroundings. I prefer the forest for this. Nothing is more relaxing for me. Thanks to its colors, smells, and silence, the forest has a calming effect on our stress system. Our heart rate and blood pressure drop after just a few minutes. So we benefit twice over: We lower our stress levels and get some exercise in nature.
I try to earn sweets, cakes, and the like. Every time I sit down to eat, I do a minute of lunges or other simple exercises beforehand. Of course, this can't compete with a regular visit to the gym, but we stay active and at least partially balance our calorie intake.
Mindful feasting – a new Christmas trend?
When it comes to celebrations, we are particularly good at one thing.
In eating too much. But unfortunately, also in eating constantly.
Furthermore, during the Christmas season, we move from one celebration to the next, sometimes becoming a marathon without running shoes. Our digestion never gets a break and works at full speed.
For years I have tried to successfully navigate through the Christmas happenings by alternating between eating and not eating.
This means I fast deliberately between individual celebrations. This gives me the opportunity to finish with a good calorie balance. Although I don't shy away from fatty roasts, cookies, and cakes.
However, I'm skipping breakfast and any snacks in between meals for the entire month of December. In the morning, I consider where I'll be that day and when I expect to have main meals. Then I decide what I'll eat around it. I usually limit myself to two substantial meals.
If I'm invited to breakfast, I skip lunch or dinner.
Cardiologists are happy when they hear something like this and call it “dinner canceling.”
The concept of fasting not only helps regulate our body weight, it also has many other health aspects.
Fasting activates our body's recycling factory. Misfolded proteins and cellular waste can be processed. According to studies, this process, called autophagy, promotes rejuvenation in our bodies.
The Christmas season has a stronger effect on us than we think. Social gatherings with family or friends are not only pleasant, but also have an impact on our health. Various studies on social health have shown this. Spending a pleasant time with my loved ones during the holidays is especially important to me and gives me strength for the coming year.
I wish you all a peaceful holiday season and a happy holiday!
Your Performance Coach & Biohacker
Richard Staudner