Seasonal Survival Guide
The Top 5 Tips For Surviving and Thriving These Christmas Holidays
Survive and thrive this Christmas with these top 5 tips to feeling merry in mind and body through the festive season and into the New Year.
Seasonal Survival Guide
1# Take A Break
Christmas is a great time of year to take a break because everyone else has downed tools too. There's nothing that needs actioning, nothing that needs fixing and no sense of guilt! So make the most of the Christmas period to switch off from work.
Going away on holiday is a great way to forget about your 9-5 and the daily routine. But a staycation can be just as beneficial. Use the opportunity to catch up with family and friends or research some different things to do in you local area. (FYI we highly recommend the Gold Coast and if you're thinking of staycationing this way, here's some of our top things to do in our neck of the woods.)
Just taking time off can improve physical and emotional well-being as well allowing space for evaluation and inspiration.
It's not the length of a holiday that counts but the frequency. Studies have shown that taking a 2 week holiday isn't any more restorative than a week long break so just seizing the the Christmas public holidays can have a transformative effect. Make the most of the break to plan your holidays for the next year - scheduling regular time off rather than using your annual leave in one big block will induce little bursts of happy throughout the year and help to minimise stress.
Holiday Listening Inspiration:
For some great Christmas and New Year holiday listening, try organisational psychologist Adam Grant's podcast WorkLife: The Science of Recharging on Weekends and Vacations.
Fashion for Holidays At home & Away
Holiday Wardrobe Capsules
Create a resort look with summer style for travel, cruise and resort wear, and the staycation lifestyle. Leina & Fleur's capsule wardrobe looks allow you to embrace the summer mood and dress for the moment as much as the destination.
Go for easy-to-wear wrap dresses, breathable linen and bamboo jersey, and versatile tops that will maximise your mix n' match options.
Seasonal Survival Guide
2# Make Time For Loved Ones
What do people regret most when they're at the end of their lives? According to former palliative care nurse and author of The Top Five Regrets of the Dying, Bronnie Ware it's not spending enough time with those they love.
Connecting with people is actually beneficial to our health and wellbeing: close relationships provide love, meaning, support and can increase feelings of self worth.
Think quality over quantity - spreading yourself too thin will only leave you feeling dissatisfied. Commit your time to people who mean a lot to you. Use Christmas events to build connections and make dates for regular catch ups and celebrations through the year.
Date Planner Inspiration:
We love Australian-made stationery company, Notely's sustainable stationery (their beautifully illustrated notebooks make a pretty and practical addition to our Gift Boxes). Made from 100% post-consumer waste and manufactured using chlorine and acid-free processes, Notely's 2024 Yearly Wall Planner is a conscious way to book in and keep track of important get-togethers.
3 Easy Simple Ways To Boost Quality Time With Your Favourite People
1. Unplug - Focus on the people you're with and not on your phone. If you're with family or friends, suggest a phone amnesty for the duration of the function so that no one is tempted!
Why not power down your device an hour earlier than usual or switch on an hour later, and use that time to connect with someone close to you?
2. Play Games - With the power to restore balance, develop transferable skills and deepen relationships, games are an opportunity to find focus in an offline world and create lasting memories. Whether it's a family tournament, a girls' games night or a pub quiz, lock in regular get-togethers to play old favourites or learn something new.
3. Eat Together - While the majority of us gather around the table with loved ones for a Christmas meal, only a third of families do it throughout the year. Studies show that those who eat together are happier, more satisfied and better connected to their communities. Clinical psychologist and author of The Key to Calm, Linda Blair recommends using mealtimes as an opportunity for bonding.
Fashion & Friendships Flourish
Make Connections
If you're looking to boost your sense of community, the L&F Style & Share Facebook Group is a place where like-minded women share their love of fashion, solve each others style queries and engage in positive conversation. With friendships that have blossomed both on and offline, this is a safe space for women to connect and celebrate with one another.
Seasonal Survival Guide
3# Dress For Your Best Life
Most of us will make a special effort with our appearance over the holidays because it is a 'special' time. But it's worth keeping in mind that clothing choices can influence our mood and improve our confidence. Why save things for best when we can be dressing for our best life everyday? Treat every day like it's Christmas!
Recommended Holiday Style Inspiration:
Trinny TV - Broadcaster and beauty entrepreneur, Trinny Woodall's enthusiasm for fashion is sure to excite and enthral!
Find Your Best Style
Get set for the New Year and fashion your future with confidence - a personal styling session at the L&F Style Studio will set you on the right track. Whether it's a work wear wardrobe that means business, advice on how to build a capsule wardrobe or dressing for your body shape, an L&F Style Session gives you the opportunity to fully explore your fashionable potential!
Life is too short - live everyday like it's Christmas Day: wear your best underwear even on a Monday, drink out of your fancy glasses, and put on a table cloth even on a weeknight. There's little things we can do every day to lift the ordinary and elevate the mood.
Christmas Survival Guide
4# Find The Good Christmas Food Habits
While the Christmas holidays have a bad reputation for encouraging over-indulgence in a wealth of less than healthy food and drinks, there are some hidden gems on your Christmas food platter you'd do well to embrace all year round:
- Turkey - packed with protein, turkey is also a good source of tryptophan, an amino acid that supports the production of the 'happy hormone' serotonin.
- Whole Nuts - high in fibre, the good fats that feed our brains and rich in vitamins and minerals, Better Health Victoria are not the only ones raving about the benefits of nuts. Ditch the salty, flavoured options and go for nuts fresh from the shells - the process of cracking them before eating will help manage portion control of these morish snacks.
- Cheese - though high in fat and best consumed in moderation, recent tests have shown cheese consumption can support cognitive function. People who regularly consume good-quality cheese also have greater diversity of microbes in the gut, which benefit digestion and overall health.
- Oranges - whether it's a mandarin in your stocking, an OJ at breakfast or the slice in your Aperol Spritz, the flavonoids (antioxidant-rich plant compounds) specific to oranges can protect against macular degeneration, a leading cause of sight loss. Research has shown that people over 50 who added an orange to their daily diet lowered their risk of developing macular degeneration by 60%.
5# Walking
Make the most of the holidays to get into good habits that will stand you in good stead for the year a head. A mere two minute walk after a meal can help lower blood sugar levels which helps prevent conditions like type 2 diabetes. Step up your walks to Better Health and you'll be helping to strengthen your bones and muscles, and reduce body fat.
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