The holiday season is full of celebration, whether that means feasting with your friends, late nights spent watching festive movies, or hours traveling on a family road trip. Reconnecting and celebrating with loved ones is exciting, but it can be tiring, too. Breaking your typical routine can leave you in a funk, and it may take time to feel like yourself again.
Here are five ways to help you recover after a busy holiday season — or vacation, or stressful work week — or anything, really.
1. Quench Your Thirst
Staying hydrated is always important, especially after the holiday break. Water delivers nutrients to cells, helps your body get rid of waste through urination and sweating, and even aids in digestion. Every part of your body relies on water to function properly. As part of your post-holiday recovery, make sure you’re sipping water throughout the day to help your body reset.
Speaking of hydration: If you indulged in alcoholic beverages over the holidays, they may have left you dehydrated. It’s okay — just cut back on the drinks for a few days.
While drinking water is important, food can also help you get the hydration your body needs. Try to incorporate these water-rich foods into your diet for an extra hydration boost:
- Cucumber
- Celery
- Bell peppers
- Watermelon
- Strawberries
How do you know if you’re taking in enough water? Good news: Your body can tell you! It may seem obvious, but if you’re feeling thirsty, your body is telling you to drink water. The color of your urine is also a hydration indicator — if you’re getting enough water, it should be clear or light yellow.
2. Eat Your Veggies
It can be tempting to limit your food intake after enjoying several large holiday meals. But don’t restrict yourself or eat less than you did pre-holiday feasting; your body still needs fuel. Instead of skipping meals, focus on eating nutrient-dense foods that will help your body perform its natural detox duties.
Your kidneys and liver, in particular, do the heavy lifting when it comes to removing waste from your body, so eat foods that are rich in the vitamins your organs need to do their job, including:
- Root vegetables like carrots, potatoes, and onions
- Broccoli
- Beans
- Nuts and seeds
- Leafy greens
- Lean proteins like fish and chicken
3. Get Moving (Slowly)
While you may be feeling sluggish, it’s still important to get up and get moving. Don’t worry — you don’t have to run a marathon. Just a few minutes of movement every day will do the trick.
Start with a 20-minute walk. It can not only increase your energy levels, but it can also improve your mood, memory, and sleep — not to mention strengthen your immune system and cardiovascular fitness.
Ready for a heavier workout? Try this 15-minute energy-boosting routine to get your blood pumping. But don’t forget to stretch first! Even if you’re not going to work out, stretching is a great way to refresh and reenergize, as well as to improve your blood circulation and relieve muscle tension and fatigue that may have built up over the holidays.
4. Take Time to Slow Down
Don’t forget to let your mind recover, too. The holidays can be emotional for some, or you may just need time to come down from all the excitement. If you’re in a post-festivity funk, practicing mindfulness can help you get back on track.
Start with a simple breathing exercise. Yep, self-care can be as easy as breathing in and out! In a comfortable position, breathe gently into your nose and out your mouth and slowly relax your muscles. Count to five as you breathe in, and count to five as you breathe out. Do this for five minutes (or longer, if you need some extra serenity).
Next, let’s do yoga. By focusing on your breathing, you’ve already got half of the yoga practice down. Put it all together with these basic poses to help you relax and re-energize. Bonus: Yoga also helps improve your flexibility, strength, and balance.
If words are your thing, journal it out! Grab a notebook, reflect on what happened over the holidays, and write down the feelings that come to mind, letting go of the thoughts that don’t lift you up. Bye-bye, negativity!
5. Get Some Z’s
All those late nights and holiday parties may leave you feeling groggy. Make sure you’re getting enough sleep — and quality sleep, at that.
Sleep in a dark, cool, and quiet room and avoid caffeine, nicotine, and alcohol before bed. Seven to nine hours of slumber helps restore your immune system, relieve stress, and boost your mood and energy levels.
Pro tip: Sneaking in a nap can also help you defeat drowsiness. Just limit your midday snooze to 20 minutes and avoid napping too close to bedtime.
Can’t get enough recovery tips? Check out these ideas for active recovery. Soon, you’ll be back and better than ever — and ready to tackle the new year!
