How to Stay Grounded With Your Habits When Life Goes Festive-Mad

Quick Summary: You can absolutely maintain habits during Christmas without denying yourself the fun stuff. Pick your celebration days, keep one non-negotiable habit, and stop treating January like a reset button. You’re already someone who looks after themselves a few mince pies don’t change that.

Somewhere in your head, a little voice is whispering: “Just write off December. Start fresh in January.”

Absolutely not.

How to Maintain Habits: There’s Nothing to “Start Again”

You’re not someone who temporarily looks after themselves when conditions are perfect.

You’re someone who does these things. Full stop.

That’s your identity now. The weather doesn’t change that. The festive season doesn’t change that. A few mince pies don’t change that.

“You’re not someone who temporarily looks after themselves when conditions are perfect. You’re someone who does these things. Full stop.”

Mr. Critic pipes up: “Oh brilliant, so now we can’t even enjoy Christmas? What’s next, cancelling fun?”

Not even close, mate. Keep reading.

You Only Live Once (So Stop Being Weird About It)

Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, and Boxing Day? I’m eating whatever I fancy. Drinking whatever I like. Enjoying my family.

No workouts. No tracking. Definitely having seconds of my mum’s trifle.

Because life is for living, and I refuse to deny myself during the few days a year when my whole family’s together. You can absolutely balance habits and festive eating—but that doesn’t mean micromanaging every mince pie.

But here’s the crucial bit: three days of enjoying yourself is not the same as abandoning your identity.

“Life is for living. Three days of celebration doesn’t erase who you are.”

The Plan That Actually Works

After Christmas, I’ll do a bit of intermittent fasting to give my body a break after all that rich food. I’ll get back to my usual routine. My body will thank me for it.

But during the actual celebrations? I’m fully present. Fully enjoying it. Zero guilt.

And the one non-negotiable? My daily walk.

Rain, shine, hangover, food coma I’m still getting my steps in. Because that’s who I am now. Someone who walks every day. Even on Christmas. It’s the simplest way I maintain habits during Christmas without making myself miserable.

What Works for You Might Look Different

Maybe you’re the opposite, you may feel better keeping your workouts going through the festive period. Maybe you’d rather have a smaller portion of everything so you don’t feel stuffed.

You could be planning to enjoy yourself for a full week, or maybe just one day.

All of that is completely fine.

The point isn’t to copy my exact approach. The point is to have an approach that isn’t “sod it all until January.” There are loads of ways to stay healthy over Christmas that don’t involve being miserable.

The Real Enemy: The All-or-Nothing Trap

The “I’ll start again in January” mentality turns three days of celebration into six weeks of abandoned habits.

It makes you feel like you’ve “failed” because you enjoyed Christmas dinner.

It separates you from your identity as someone who looks after themselves.

Mr. Critic smirks: “So basically, one mince pie and you’ve ruined everything? Might as well eat the whole tin, right?”

That’s the thinking that keeps people stuck. But you haven’t blown anything. You had festive food. You’re still you.

Pause and Reflect:

Think about your last Christmas or holiday period. Did you write off the entire season and promise yourself you’d “start again” afterwards? How did that actually work out for you? What would it feel like to go into this festive season knowing you’re already someone who looks after themselves, rather than someone who needs to start over?

How to Maintain Habits During the Festive Season: The Actual Plan

Sticking to habits over holidays doesn’t require perfect willpower. It just requires a bit of intentional planning:

Decide your “enjoy everything” days in advance. For me, it’s three specific days. Make the decision consciously rather than sliding into six weeks of “ah well, it’s basically still Christmas.”

Keep one non-negotiable habit. Mine’s walking. Yours might be your morning routine, your workout, getting your protein in. Just one thing that keeps you connected to yourself. This simple bit of holiday habit planning makes all the difference.

Plan for afterwards. Whether that’s intermittent fasting, getting straight back to your usual routine, or easing in gradually have a plan that isn’t “I’ll figure it out on January 1st.”

Stop treating January like a do-over. There’s no reset button. There’s just you, continuing to be someone who looks after themselves.

The Bottom Line

The dark mornings, cold rain, endless celebrations, party food none of it means you stop being you.

Enjoy Christmas. Eat the food, drink the drinks, skip the gym, have a brilliant time without guilt.

But don’t use it as an excuse to disconnect from your identity for six weeks and then “start again” when the decorations come down.

There’s nothing to start. You’re already someone who looks after themselves.

You’re just also someone who knows how to enjoy life.

And honestly? That’s the whole point of any festive habit tips worth following.

The dark mornings and cold rain aren’t just challenging your habits they might be affecting your mood too. If you’re struggling with more than just motivation, here’s how to beat the winter blues in the UK

What’s your plan for the festive season? Are you keeping any habits non-negotiable, or are you taking a complete break? Let me know in the comments I’d love to hear how you’re approaching it.

Thank You For Reading

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Kel is the writer behind Everyday Mastery, where she shares the real, messy, and meaningful process of building habits, resilience, and self-belief from the ground up. Her writing blends ancient philosophy with modern science, always focused on small, practical steps that lead to lasting change.

Kel

Kel is the writer behind Everyday Mastery, where she shares the real, messy, and meaningful process of building habits, resilience, and self-belief from the ground up. Her writing blends ancient philosophy with modern science, always focused on small, practical steps that lead to lasting