Why You Shouldn’t Wait ‘Till After the Holidays to Get Healthy

Is the decision to get healthy as simple as “If not now, when?” Not when life, emotions and especially outside factors are at play. Add in the looming Holiday season, full of indulgence and sugar, and many of our clients say, “I’ll start after the Holidays.” In this blog, we cover five reasons why you shouldn’t wait until January 2nd to begin your wellness journey. 

1. If you put it off, you’ll feel guilty.    

We know that putting something off, like becoming healthier, is the right thing to do so when we fail to begin, we may feel guilt. Your guilt may be self-imposed or a result of letting other people down, but the result is the same – guilt is debilitating and counterproductive. Besides, guilt should be reserved for times when you make a bad decision or choice, not when you’ve let yourself down. You need to forgive yourself to move forward and start your journey to health, or anything else you’ve been meaning to do. 

2. If you can do it now, you can do it any time. 

You’ll gain a boost from getting started when most people are procrastinating or popping cookies in the oven. Overcoming a challenge leads to self-confidence which is key to sustaining your healthy habits well into the new year. By boosting your self-esteem, you are free from self-doubt and anxiety which only hold you back from success.  

3. If you put it off, you will likely gain weight or come up with more reasons not to start. 

The longer you delay a task, the likelihood increases that you will continue to put it off or other variables in your life might change. When you feel guilty for procrastinating, see #1, that guilt leads you to make choices to soothe yourself. Your choices will inevitably be less healthy and more indulgent which are incompatible with the task at hand. 

4. Start slowly now and you’ll have plenty of time to make it a habit in an environment that’s comfortable for you.

You may have heard that it takes between 21-30 days to establish a habit. Getting healthy is not a goal but a journey you need to stay true to for many years to come. When you begin before Thanksgiving and eliminate bad habits, you will have created enough time and repetition for your new healthy habits to stick.  

5. There is NEVER a perfect time. 

Life is not perfect so why would we believe there is a perfect time for our pursuits? More often than not we will regret the actions we didn’t take, especially when we know doing so will benefit us. We know deep down that our reasons for not doing something pale in comparison to the positive outcome we could reach. One suggestion we’d make is to take out a paper and pen (or use your computer because it’s 2020) and try to answer the following questions as honestly as possible: 

  • Why can’t I start?

  • What do I need to do before I start?

  • How will starting this benefit me

When you have your answers staring back at you, you may decide they are not as overwhelming as they seemed in your head. 

Get Healthy From the Inside Out with Healthful Life MD’s Help

Now that we’ve covered five reasons to start to get healthy before the Holidays, you may need additional tips about navigating all the temptations of the season. We understand that mental wellness is just as important to your overall health as other components like nutrition and movement and that’s why we partner with Dr. Tonya McFarland, PsyD, CEDS to help patients recognize procrastination, although common, does not have to dictate whether they are healthy or not. 

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