Stop Chasing Holiday ‘Health’ and Try This!

A practical guide to living fully, moving your body, and nourishing your soul this season.

Nov 20, 2025

I love the holidays! And not just the curated, Pinterest-perfect version everyone posts about, but the real, messy, wonderful kind.

I love the traditions. I love the decor. I love the magic and wonder. I love the sweaters and matching pajamas. I love the cookie baking. And yes, the inevitable arguments that come with it.

I love the endless parties and all the ways life can be filled with meaning. And I especially love the reason we celebrate it all.

Choosing more this season!

While most people are talking about slowing down, simplifying, or doing less, I want a holiday about presence, fullness, and quiet joy. I want to notice the ordinary, the chaos, and the emotions, and not overlook even the tiniest moment.

I know it sounds poetic, but I bring this up because it’s easy to fall into the trap of trying to micromanage the holidays — or “live healthy” — based on someone else’s rules. But that approach, someone else’s, won’t work if it’s not yours. It only adds stress and chaos. Not to mention, it steals the magic of the season.

I often wonder how much better our lives would be if we could break free of trying to mold them into something they’re not meant to be and fully show up in our wholeness. To show up in the imperfect, messy, work-in-progress, but joy-overflowing kind of way. That’s what I want more of this holiday season.

Because honestly, the perfectly curated life makes no one happy. It takes the wonder out, and wonder is what births the magic.

This season, I’m going back to the old-fashioned approach (learn about it here). The one that was both simple and full, basic and present.

Instead of micromanaging my day-to-day, I’m choosing to focus on three things:

Charging my body with movement, fresh air, and nourishment.
Choosing joy in little moments, big moments, and everything in between.
Filling my soul with laughter, meaningful connections, and a deeper understanding of the Christmas story.

How I do this each day might look different, and that’s the beauty of it. I’m not trying to control life. I’m showing up and living it with the right intentions.

My holiday intentions are simple:

Fresh air and steps: Aiming for 8k steps a day (The Holiday Walking Club is keeping me strong. Have you joined?).
Slow mornings: Spending intentional time with my Bible, using this Advent series as a guide.
Eating for energy and nourishment.
Meaningful time with the people I love.
Living in my pajamas as often as possible.

This year, I’m both slowing down and showing up.

I’m living both the simple and maximalist forms of the holidays, and I’m going to find joy in every moment of it.

Because at the end of the day, health isn’t in the rules or the plans. It’s in the living. Health is how you show up in your day-to-day. Some days, that may mean saying yes. Other days, it may mean saying no.

Don’t get lost in the “health” weeds and forget what you truly need.

Set aside time this weekend to create a short list of holiday intentions. Intentions give you direction. Just don’t overwhelm yourself—or you won’t do anything with it. Keep it short, keep it focused, and let it reflect how you want to feel.

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