Back To Work: Seven nutrition and lifestyle tips to help you adjust after the holidays

So the holidays have come and gone like the blink of an eye and for many the return to work or adjusting after a busy work season can feel like an absolute whirlwind and shock to the system.

Fret not as Laurann O’Reilly nutritionist and owner of Nutrition By Laurann will guide us through her top nutrition and lifestyle tips to help you adjust after the holidays.

1. Establish a routine:

Whilst we may be feeling a little dazed when returning to work or some sense of normality after the holidays, one thing that can really help is establishing a routine. In fact our body loves routine, which includes going to bed/waking and eating at the same time every day. You’ve probably heard of the term ‘circadian rhythm’, this is your body’s natural body clock that helps to keep you synchronised throughout the day. Through a healthy routine you can tune your body clock to tell you when you’re hungry (intuitive eating), when it’s time to sleep and when to wake up, like clockwork.

2. Meal planning:

Let’s face it, life and work can get a little manic sometimes, so getting organised with our meals in advance is the absolute key to eating healthy and saving precious time whilst also adjusting back to post holiday reality again. Whilst it sounds complicated, this really does make your life so much easier, and simply involves a little planning and organisation. Here I provide you with my free meal planning guide which includes some ideas and recipes too, that can help to get you started.

Free Meal Planning Guide: https://nutritionbylaurann.ie/ your-meal-planning-guide/

3. Get moving:

Whilst our body may be in shock after our festive fill of delicious food and drinks, movement no matter how small can really help to get our blood flowing again as well as releasing valuable mood enhancing endorphins to lift out post-holiday spirits again.

Tip: Find what suits be it a short 20 minute walk, a cycle, swim or you can book yourself into a local exercise class (I quite like the classes for the extra motivational boost and you can make it part of your routine too)

4. Get your sleep:

As Thomas Dekker says “sleep is the golden chain that ties health and our bodies together”, it’s super cheesy I know but it really is. Think of food as our fuel and sleep as our battery. Once we’ve had a proper night’s sleep, we can feel able to tackle the world, so do aim for a minimum of 7-9 hours per night where possible.

5. Stay hydrated:

We all know that water is essential for our life and for our survival but we can often underestimate the importance of water for our bodies. With almost 60% of the body being composed of water, it is essential for many important processes including digestion and removing toxins after a little holiday overindulgence.

Tip: Aim for a minimum of 35 ml/kg body weight of water per day

6. Remove the temptations:

Yes, it’s very likely that we have some tubs of sweets, selection boxes, family packs of Taytos and more still hanging around after the holidays. If you’re intending on making a fresh start and you find it hard to resist temptation it may be time to remove them, as you are controlling your environment. Remember if it’s not there you can’t have it.

7. Remember your self care:

Adjusting after the holidays can really be a big shock to the system so remember to take some time for self-care each day. This can be as simple as using a 5 minute breathing technique to get your stress levels down again.

5 minute breathing technique

4-7-8 Breathing

1. Sit or lie in a comfortable position.

2. Close your eyes.

3. Empty your lungs – take a deep breath and exhale through your mouth.

4. Keeping your mouth closed, inhale quietly through your nose while counting to four.

5. Hold your breath for a count of seven.

6. Exhale slowly through your mouth for a count of eight.

7. Repeat this cycle around six times before returning to normal breathing.