“With the holidays coming up, I’ll start over in January.”
Have you ever said that to yourself? November is settling in, the days are getting shorter, and your calendar is starting to fill up. Between work, the kids, and the first invitations, your routine is becoming less consistent. You miss a workout, order dinner… and tell yourself that since you’re not doing everything as planned, you might as well wait until after the holidays to get back on track.
That’s where the “all or nothing” trap sets in: believing that a routine has to be perfect to be worth sticking with.
Yet, you can adjust your habits now and enjoy the coming weeks without feeling like you’ll have to start from scratch in January.
If we haven’t met yet, I’m Carla Kay, a mother of two and a prenatal, postpartum, and diastasis recti coach.
One different day doesn’t undo all your efforts
Missing one workout doesn’t erase the ones you’ve done. One restaurant dinner doesn’t undo the meals you prepared during the week.
What can derail us is that little thought that follows: “Well, my week is ruined. I’ll start again on Monday.” Then Monday becomes next month, and next month becomes January.
You have the right to keep going even if things haven’t gone exactly as planned.
Give yourself a simpler version of your routine
When your schedule changes, your routine can change too.
If you wait until you have free time, a quiet house, and all your motivation, you might be waiting a long time. As a mom and entrepreneur, I know how quickly days can fill up.
That’s also why I place so much emphasis on short workouts at home.
Choose a duration and frequency that truly fit into your current schedule. A routine you can repeat is worth it, even if it’s lighter than the one you had imagined.
Keep time for relaxation too, and if needed, use a supplement like ashwagandha to support stress management.
Make room for dinners and traditions
The holidays are also about family recipes, reunions, and meals that stretch on because we enjoy being together.
You can enjoy these moments and continue to take care of yourself. You don’t have to “earn” your dessert with a workout or skip a meal in anticipation of dinner. And if you’re looking for support to manage your daily sugar cravings, you can also use Shop Santé’s Bye Bye Sucre.
Instead, try to stick to your usual habits around these occasions: eat your regular meals, keep a bottle of water close at hand, add electrolytes to your water, and move when your schedule allows.
An event can remain an event. It doesn’t need to become the starting point for several weeks of putting all your habits aside.
Start January with habits you already know
Between now and January, there will probably be days that are well organized and others that are much less so. You might miss some sessions. Some meals will be improvised. You can still keep going.
That’s the flexibility I invite you to practice in November: learn to adjust your routine and get back to it without judging yourself every time it changes.
You don’t need to wait until the new year to make room for it.
Ultimately, the goal is simply to make meals more balanced while keeping what we love about fall: warmth, comfort, and, above all, pleasure!
Prenatal & postpartum coach (@carlakay.fitness)
