Showing Up for Yourself This Holiday Season: 3 Ways to Stay Consistent

3 strategies for  Avoiding the “All or Nothing” Mentality During the Holidays

The holidays are full of things to look forward to: community, celebrations, a break from routine,... But for many of us, they can also bring a unique kind of stress: packed schedules, missed workouts, less control over food, and the temptation to “just start fresh in January.”

If you’ve ever felt that tug between staying consistent and actually enjoying the season, you’re not alone. Here are a few ideas on how to navigate it with more flexibility and less guilt.

1. Redefine What Success Looks Like

It’s easy to think progress means always pushing harder,  but sometimes the best thing you can do for your performance (and your mental health) is to give yourself some space to do less.

If you’re usually training five or six days a week, maybe the holidays are a chance to scale back to three or four solid sessions. If you’re tracking macros, maybe this is the season to shift from precision to awareness: keeping an eye on how you’re fueling, but without micromanaging every bite.

This doesn’t mean you’re slacking. It means you’re being strategic and respecting that recovery, connection, and rest are also part of the training cycle.

Ask yourself: What kind of consistency feels doable right now?

Then commit to that, instead of chasing a version of progress that doesn’t fit your current reality.

2. Create and Embrace Minimums

“Minimums” are the smallest, most achievable actions that keep your momentum going, even when life’s chaotic.

Maybe that’s:

• Getting 7,000 steps a day, even if you skip the gym.

• Drinking plenty of water to stay hydrated between holiday drinks.

• Prioritizing protein at each meal so you’re fueled and recovering well.

Minimums aren’t about perfection; they’re about staying connected to your habits and identity as an athlete. When you hit your minimums, you prove to yourself that you can stay consistent even when conditions aren’t ideal. If you overshoot your minimum - great! That’s all extra credit! 

3. Set Yourself Up for Future Success

Progress doesn’t always mean pushing harder or chasing a new PR; sometimes it means maintaining the habits that keep you grounded and confident… even when your schedule’s a mess.

Think of this season as a time to lean on the work you’ve already done: the routines, awareness, and the habits you’ve built. That might mean staying consistent with your training minimums, keeping some structure with meals, or simply practicing mindful flexibility when things don’t go as planned.

You can even go in with a loose plan for challenging situations, like knowing how you’ll approach food-centric events: maybe you start with a balanced plate, add the holiday foods you love most, and give yourself space to actually enjoy them. 

When we adjust our expectations to match our circumstances, we can stay connected to our goals without letting perfectionism take over.

And when those inevitable out-of-routine moments come (late-night parties, travel delays, or missed workouts) remember that your success isn’t defined by a single day - or even a single season. It’s defined by how we continue to lean on our habits and supportive behaviors even when things aren’t “ideal.”

Practicing this imperfection and flexing our skills and habits in more challenging circumstances sets us up for even stronger future success once we’re back in our groove. Instead of “starting over in January,” we’re maintaining a baseline of supportive habits and digging ourselves out of the sticky trap of all-or-nothing thinking.

(Adapted from an original post by Kate Lyman Nutrition, shared with permission.)