TGIM: Indulge with Intention

Welcome back to Thank God It’s Monday!

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tl;dr Your frustration with holiday indulgence is not in the act of indulging itself. It is discomfort due to your actions not aligning with your expectations. Set yourself up for success (and a less stressful holiday) by being realistic with your Thanksgiving plans.

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I’ve been coaching people for several years now and no matter if it’s with personal training, nutrition, or mindset, one story rings true: there is a pervasive fear around the holidays. Clients who have been MIA come out of the woodwork to resume coaching. Others talk about how nervous they are because they don’t want to throw away all of the progress they’ve made. For a time of year that is supposed to be relaxing and joyous, an awful lot of stress hovers overhead.

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Thanksgiving is a time to be grateful. It is also a time to indulge in a larger meal than we would typically have. Personally, I can’t wait for that perfect bite of stuffing, cranberry sauce, and turkey on a warm roll. I look forward to this meal for most of the year.

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Some people get nervous about the big meal. They know how they’ve felt in the past, uncomfortable, possibly even sick. And they are worried they can’t prevent themselves from feeling like that again.

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But why can other people enjoy their first, second, and third plates, pass out on the couch happy as a clam, and wake up ready for dessert without batting an eye?
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Same fullness, completely different experiences.

The person who happily enjoys their Thanksgiving without frustration is the person whose expectations aligned with their experience. They went into dinner prepared to wear their stretchy pants and enjoy every last bite of pie. When they felt full at the end of their night, their expectations were met.

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The person anxiously approaching the holidays has hoped that they can go into the meal with the control to enjoy in moderation, and disappointed themselves in the past. Maybe prior years has left them feeling uncomfortable when they wanted to not overdo it. They were not able to keep their word to themselves.

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In order to enjoy the holidays then, we should be realistic with our expectations. Maybe instead of worrying about losing weight during this time, we prioritize spending time with our loved ones and enjoying the foods we don’t have often. Learning how to not fear food is a powerful tool that can mitigate the stress around holidays for many people. Instead of being worried about being too full, we can practice being grateful for the abundance we have.

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We are in a time of overabundance. We have the easiest access to food, knowledge, things in general than any generation before. And we’re human, it’s okay to indulge sometimes. Maybe that’s during Thanksgiving dinner, maybe that’s setting some time aside to scroll social media mindlessly, or maybe that’s binge watching a show you’ve been dying to see. But we all probably indulge in something, in some way,

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In order to enjoy whatever you’re indulging in and get the most out of it, do it with intention. Go into it with the time, attention, or appetite to go a little overboard if you want. Life is short, what would it be without a little overindulgence?
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But in order to not have any regrets about it, being purposeful is essential. When you act with intention, you can enjoy it more. You don’t second guess the way you’re using your time or your energy when you set it aside. It maximizes the entire experience.

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Is this all to say go into Thanksgiving with the intention to make yourself sick? No. That probably won’t be enjoyable even if you do it with purpose. But go into it with gratitude, joy, and a sense of abundance. Enjoy every bite and every moment with your family. You will be shocked at how when you allow your fear of food to dissipate, you enjoy your food even more.
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If you found some value in this, please share it with a friend you think would enjoy it! And let me know if you’d like to be added to get TGIM.

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This week, my podcast recommendation is from Mark Manson’s The Subtle Art of Not Giving A F*ck, “The 4 Stages of Life, Psychological Richness, and How Much is Enough?”
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With that, happy Thanksgiving everyone!
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Until next time,

Shannon
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P.S.

1. I am of the nature to grow old. There is no way to escape growing old.
2. I am of the nature to have ill health. There is no way to escape having ill health.
3. I am of the nature to die. There is no way to escape death.
4. All that is dear to me and everyone I love are of the nature to change. There is no way to escape being separated from them.
5. My actions are my only true belongings. I cannot escape the consequences of my actions. My actions are the ground upon which I stand.