My Number One Tip For Healthy Living This Holiday Season

As I am completely a holiday person, I wanted to write a special blog for Thanksgiving this week! 

At first, I was thinking to write some tips for you on staying fit during the holidays, or maybe ‘healthified’ versions of fave holiday dishes. Nothing wrong with those ideas, and let's be honest, many of you maybe would have preferred that!

But as I sat down to write this, I'm just not feeling it. Maybe due to the fact that I've had a long day. Maybe because of some conversations I had earlier today that made me reflect on deeper things that really matter in life. Maybe because of a random act of kindness I witnessed from a complete stranger reaching out to help another stranger in need. 

Maybe because right now it's 8pm, my house is a complete disaster, but I'm listening to Anderson and Ryan wrestling in the living room and the sound of them playing is literally my favorite thing in the world. 

Whatever it is, all I can think about right now as I think of Thanksgiving is that it has NOTHING to do with the meal and everything to do with the mindset of giving thanks.

What Thanksgiving means to me

The holidays are special to me not because of the food or festivities, (though I love that!) but rather the spirit of love that accompanies them — or SHOULD accompany them. 

I think it is too easy to forget that living a healthy lifestyle encompasses our mental and emotional health as well as our physical, so today I want to talk a little more about that. 

My number one health tip for the holiday season

My best health tip this holiday season doesn't have anything to do with helping you not overindulge on treats or keeping you motivated to workout (though don't get me wrong I will keep talking about that stuff too!).

I think what matters the most right now, and the best thing we can do for ourselves and our overall health and wellbeing, is to maintain a perspective of gratitude. 

Being grateful creates a healthy mindset

One of my all-time FAVORITE quotes is: "Gratitude turns what we have into enough."

When we are busy being thankful for what we have, we don't have time to feel bad for ourselves and therefore don't waste time or energy feeling bad when we don't have more. 

One of the universal truths about life is that we do not know how long we have. I'm not meaning to be morbid, but think about it — if you really live each day with the reality that it could be your last, how can you not be grateful to simply be alive? 

I don't necessarily mean in the cheesy ‘live like you're dying’ sort of way. When we understand we may only have today, we are much less likely to waste our time letting little things get under our skin, or focusing on greed and negativity.

When we realise that the present is the only time we have to act, we’re more inclined to live graciously and show love to both ourselves those around us. 

Practice gratitude and you will spread kindness

Perhaps the most powerful thing to me about being thankful, is that it so seamlessly spills into kindness. When others show me kindness, it fills my heart with gratitude and I want to naturally spread kindness in return. 

I also promise you that nothing will make you more grateful for what you have than being acutely aware of the needs of those around you. NO ONE is perfect. EVERYONE you come in contact with every day is dealing with trials and hardships that you know nothing of. 

Regardless of how different we may seem, if we just took a moment to get to know each other we probably have a lot more in common than we might think. Being kind costs NOTHING, but can change everything. 

This holiday season and this Thanksgiving, my two goals are to live with a perspective of gratitude and to spread kindness to others. That is my challenge for you as well. 

I’m SO grateful to be part of the amazing PWR Community!

Lastly, I couldn't write this post without saying a huge THANK YOU to YOU. Thank you for reading this blog that maybe wasn't the most practical or entertaining, but that came from my heart. 

Thank you for supporting me in my journey and THANK YOU for doing YOUR best to live YOUR healthy lifestyle as you empower yourself through fitness.

Nothing makes me happier than receiving a message or email from one of you expressing how YOU have changed your life for the better and I have had some small part in helping you learn to love and care for yourself. 

Join me in practising gratitude this Thanksgiving

Despite all the hate and hardships, it is a beautiful world filled with good-hearted people. I truly believe that. Wishing you all the happiness this holiday season, and whether you spend it surrounded by family and friends or in solitude, I hope your Thanksgiving is filled with love and gratitude. 

I’m going to sign off with perhaps one of the most powerful quotes I've ever read. This one is from the incredibly brave and triumphant Helen Keller, who was the first deaf and blind person to ever earn a college degree:

"So much has been given to me, I have not time to ponder over that which has been denied.”

Happy Thanksgiving my friend!!

Xx

Kelsey