Navigating the Festive Season Without Losing Your Momentum
This time of year has a way of knocking the rhythm out of even the most disciplined among us.
The routine dissolves. The calendar tilts towards social events. And the healthy patterns you’ve worked hard to build suddenly feel fragile.
The problem isn’t the champagne, the late nights, or the extra meals out. The real problem is how quickly we abandon all sense of strategy the moment December hits. It becomes a free-for-all or a white-knuckled attempt at control, instead of a season we can move through with agency and intention.
What I want to offer is a different frame.
Not restriction.
Not perfection.
Just a smart way through it.
You can enjoy the festive period and continue the momentum you’ve built.
It’s not a contradiction; it’s a design opportunity.
1. The Shift: Stop Aiming for Perfection, Protect the Pattern
The mistake people make in December is they switch from “I am someone with healthy routines” to “I’ll get back on track in January.”
Binary thinking is the real culprit.
Instead, focus on one goal: Protect the pattern, not the perfect version of it.
Ask yourself:
What is the minimum viable routine that keeps me steady?
What are the two non-negotiables that maintain my sense of health and identity?
For most people, these are the stabilisers:
Protein at each meal
Hydration
A 20–30 minute walk
A consistent sleep window
One calm, grounding practice (yoga, stretching, breathwork, journalling)
Your version will depend on your current Health Edit focus.
The point is: don’t break the chain.
Shrink it if you need to, but don’t drop it.
2. The Before/After Rule: Anchor Your Day Around the Event
When there’s a lunch, dinner, or work function, people often “save themselves” during the day. That’s an energy crash and overeating spiral waiting to happen.
A better strategy:
Before the event:
Prioritise protein (30–40g minimum)
Add fibre early in the day
Hydrate well
Keep movement light but consistent
After the event:
A short walk
Hydrate
Return to your normal routine immediately the next morning
This “before and after” anchoring protects your blood sugar, mood and appetite and removes the guilt/failure spiral entirely.
3. Choose Your Indulgences With Intention, Not Impulse
Most people aren’t “off track” because of one delicious meal. They’re off track because they let every moment become a decision made by social cues.
Rather than defaulting to whatever’s handed to you:
Ask yourself: “Do I really want this, or is this just what everyone else is doing?”
This simple pause interrupts the autopilot loop.
Behavioural science calls this the choice architecture reset. Shift from reactive to deliberate.
Choose the things you genuinely enjoy.
Skip the things you don’t care about.
That’s strategy, not restriction.
4. The Alcohol Strategy: Less, Better, Smarter
I’m not here to moralise about drinking. I’m here to protect your physiology.
A few simple edits make a big difference:
Choose clear spirits or red wine over sugary cocktails
Alternate with sparkling water
Stop drinking one hour before you plan to leave
Keep 1–2 alcohol-free nights each week regardless of social plans
And if you notice your sleep tanking, your mood shifting, or waking anxiety creeping in please don’t ignore it.
Alcohol is often the invisible culprit.
5. Movement as Regulation, Not Punishment
December movement isn’t about “burning off” anything. It’s about stress management and nervous system regulation.
You feel better.
You sleep deeper.
You digest more efficiently.
You make clearer choices.
Protect the routine. It’s the anchor for the entire season.
If your usual training feels too much, switch to:
walking
yoga
light strength
swimming
dance
short home workouts
Movement doesn’t need to be intense, it just needs to be consistent.
6. The One-Question Check-In
Each morning, ask yourself one question:
What’s the one thing I can do today that keeps my health identity intact?
Not perfect.
Not strict.
Just intact.
This question keeps you connected to your agency, the thing most people lose in December.
7. Don’t Abandon Your Future Self
January doesn’t transform anyone. Your future self is built by the micro-decisions you make year round, December included.
If you can stay at 60 to 70 percent connected to your routine, your January self won’t need to “start over.” The routine simply continues.
That’s what longevity looks like:
Not intensity.
Continuity.
If I can offer you one final thought
You don’t need to control December. You just need to design it.
Let the season be social, generous, messy, and fun but don’t forget who you are in the process.
Your health isn’t fragile.
Your identity isn’t either.
You’re resilient and capable.
This is the season to practise that truth.
