The fourth quarter of the year brings challenges for everyone. From work deadlines to family time to limited sunshine, there’s barely any room in between to breathe. At the end of the year, almost every area of our lives are impacted.
You might feel the result of relationship stress, holiday meals, increased spending and burnout. Whatever you’re experiencing, know you’re not alone! It can be hard to see the light at the end of the tunnel this time of year, so we’ve put together a few tips you can implement to tame the madness of quarter four.
Where can we begin to find the balance?
Start by acknowledging everything that’s going on. The earlier you can start preparing for events that may trigger some stress, the better off you’ll be.
To prepare for this busy season in the best way possible, start by:
- Grounding Yourself
- Take a step back and consider, ‘what do I need?’ The holidays are a time when we are likely thinking of others. This quarter, we challenge you to take some time to consider your own needs. Maybe this is planning days without commitments and assessing the most important events and activities you need and want to attend for the rest of this year. Whatever helps bring balance to your life, give yourself the grace to find stability.
- Practice Compassion and Be Curious
- Remind yourself that you are doing enough!
- Practice curiosity rather than judgment around others’ holiday traditions and behaviors.
- Permit Yourself to Do What You Know You Need
- It’s Okay to Decline an Invitation!
- Boundaries are essential this time of year, so allow yourself to reinforce boundaries that have slipped or establish new ones.
Now that you know a few pointers of what you can do to find balance during the fourth quarter let’s discuss what this has to do with mental and emotional well-being.
We always hear, ‘taking care of your mental health is one of the most important things you can do.’ But what does this mean during this time of year?
It all starts with being present and mindful of yourself. This means being mindful of how you’re feeling and what you’re thinking and acknowledging why you might be feeling these ways. Another part of mental and emotional well-being is self-kindness. Try meeting yourself with warmth rather than harmful self-criticism this time of year.
Common humanity is the last piece of our emotional well-being that is critical this time of year. This means we recognize that struggle and personal failure are part of the shared human experience. In essence, you’re not the only one who may be struggling this time of year!
Now that we understand our mental well-being, let’s dive into one of the most challenging parts of the holiday season, nutrition!
Nutritional Well-Being
Here are a few tips to help you stay healthy this end-of-year season.
- Cheat a Little!
- Allow yourself a small serving of a treat.
- Manage the Risk of Temptation
- If you know that extra candy lying around will be tempting, do your best to move it out of sight or even give it away!
- Focus on Eating Fruits, Veggies, and Water First
- Start by getting into the routine of these nutrition basics.
- Bring Healthier Choices to The Party
- Everyone will appreciate having a healthy option!
- Focus on Socializing and Not the Eating
- Try your best to remember why you attend the gathering – to spend time with those you care for!
Outside of managing nutrition, managing finances this time of year is never easy. Let’s learn how you can make smart financial choices as we round out the end of the year.
Financial Health
With these tips, you’ll be able to minimize any over-spending:
- Set a Budget
- Make Lists and Stick to Them
- Split the Cost of Gifts
- Try and go in on gifts with your loved ones, so the cost is lower for both of you.
- Gift Experiences at Later Dates
- This allows for budgeting. Also, the gift of quality time means more than any material possession.
- Avoid Self-Gifting Pay with Cash
Finally, here are a few ways to make the most of your physical health during this busy time.
Physical Well-being
- Actively socialize
- Just remember to step back and consider what you need and when you need a break
- Gear Up and Get Out in The Winter
- This makes cold winters much easier to tolerate!
- Try New Activities
- Make It Short and Simple Nothing fancy also gets the job done!
What’s the most crucial place to start?
Now that we’ve broken down the most significant areas of our health that take a toll this month, here’s where you should start.
- Accept where you are at today.
- Make your lists.
- For events coming up, your responsibilities, and any downtime you need.
- Start with water.
- One fresh food a day.
With these tips, you’ll be ready to conquer quarter-four!
What’s one area of health you’ll be focusing on this month?
