What do Halloween, the Holidays and Self-Respect have in common?
It’s officially fall. Mid-October. We’re barreling toward Halloween, which is chased feverishly by Thanksgiving and the December holidays. These are certainly joyous celebrations, but what happens to our health and wellness during the holidays is downright SPOOKY!
Do you struggle with weight gain between October and January? If so you’re not alone. Frighteningly, it’s not uncommon for people to gain up to seven pounds during this time. When you consider the treats that sneak into our bodies when we aren’t paying attention – candies set out at the office, savory foods, tasty desserts and let’s not forget the extra holiday toasts, hot toddies, and abundance of holiday cheer – the effect on our health can be absolutely chilling.
In the general scheme of things, if we are vigilant, we can lose the holiday weight but it may take up to five months to do so. But what’s more unsettling is that these nutritional excesses can wreak havoc on our blood sugar, inflammation levels, blood pressure and even brain health - terrifying!
Believe it or not, this blog is not about strategies to avoid these goblins. I actually want to talk about Self Respect.
SELF RESPECT!
That really is intimidating.
Why bring up Self Respect in the context of holiday health horrors?
As you may know, in my book, From Overwhelmed to Inspired, I talk about the idea that underlying our ability (or lack thereof) to maintain wellness, we need to cultivate self-respect. Self-respect has to do with our actions. In my book, I describe it as “acting in a manner that we believe is deserving of respect.”
Self-respect is “an internal appreciation for actions and behaviors that are worthy of respect. As a result, it can often demand that we make difficult choices.”
What I’m getting at here is that during these dauntingly difficult dietary months, perhaps we should consider focusing on self-respect as opposed to self-discipline. When we choose NOT to have the tempting treat that beckons us at every turn, or the extra glass of whatever, or the extra serving at our festivities and parties, we are actually demonstrating self-respect.
We’re respecting our health, our bodies and all the work we’ve done all year to stay in shape. We’re respecting our choices to make conscious decisions about what we put into our bodies. We’re respecting the choice that we are making to live every day of every year in the most healthful way possible.
Changing the way we look at these choices can fill us up with positive rewards like feeling good about ourselves on January 2, recognition of our own self-esteem and self-worth, and pride that we don’t have to plunge into the new year with resolutions to add extra workouts and cut calories.
ONE MORE BONUS
When we, as adults, are able to exercise our self-respect and moderate our choices during this tricky time of year, we are setting an example for the young ones in our midst. We are teaching them the valuable lesson of self-respect. We are teaching them to get in touch with their feelings and to respect their bodies and appreciate making choices that are healthy and sustainable.
As our kids grow to become teens and adults themselves, this early life lesson can help them become strong, courageous adults, who respect themselves and respect others through their personal choices and actions. And what could be a better ‘treat’ for your child than that?
Until next time,
Be well
p.s. Self Respect is the focus of one in a series of children’s pre-reader books, that I am writing to help children absorb the concepts of wellness I describe in my grown-up book. I’m looking forward to having finished products to share with you in the next 12-18 months. Until then, I hope to continue sharing these ideas with you in my blog. Let me know your thoughts!