An anti-guilt guide
Hey hey,
As soon as the Thanksgiving leftovers are gone, the guilt messaging arrives. In the most dramatic moments, it can feel like the whirlwind of holiday socializing is coming and everyone with health on the mind should duck and take cover. The parties! The weather! The chocolate! The cold! How could we ever end the year feeling okay about ourselves?
As the narrative goes, we must have a plan of attack for every gathering. Bee line for this table of vegetables. Fill up before you arrive. Don't make eye contact with that friend who always takes you down a memory lane of wine and conversation that makes it hard to get to your class in the morning. Enjoy yourself, but not too much. Here's how hard you have to work out to work off that piece of pie.
In a time of celebrating with family, friends, coworkers, and loved ones, so many of us end up feeling guilty about the decisions we make and the workouts we miss.
Instead, here's what I try to think about. Every day, I am lucky to be able to make choices about what feels "healthy" for me that day. Wellness is a tough word because it conjures up one set of behaviors, when in fact it is the intersection of the pieces. Some days the wellness I choose is prioritizing socializing over fitness. Some days it's knowing what I need and going to class instead of the party. This time of year, many days it's eating the damn cookies and going to the event and missing the morning run.
Instead of feeling guilt, feel ownership. The things you choose to do with your time are your wellness. If you continue to check in with your own energy and make the small adjustments to keep that in a good place, you are doing enough. Truly. You know you, so listen to that.
What if we each found space to embrace our choices and accept the non-linear way that wellness looks on a day to day basis. It's a big picture and you're always moving forward. Most of the time, habits and routines are helpful and, for me, alleviate anxiety. But living in the moment and without inviting in future guilt is also one of the great joys of this season.
Whatever you choose for December to look like — with workouts, with eating, with resting — let's try to take the guilt out of it. The world is heavy enough, so be easy on yourself.
And finally, instead of a big gift guide, over the next few weeks I'll share a few of the products I've bought and truly loved this year. (prices all under $150).
These $75 ethically sourced cashmere sweaters from Nadaam are my new staple.
As a sneaker lover, my Veja V-10s are my 2018 all stars. Fair-trade, organic, and cute with skirts, jeans, and leggings.
I'm lightly obsessed with the new brand Entireworld — this shirt fulfills my latent east coast preppy roots and I am ready for all of us to go all in on the colorful sweatsuits.
I'm a sucker for a beautiful ceramic mug and love our pair from Atelier Dion.
Hope it helps your holiday — or, ya know, self — gifting this season.
Take care of yourself and I hope to see you soon.
xo,
Molly