Yes, that’s right. Indulge!

During the Season of Joy, there are so many articles cautioning us with headlines like ‘Avoid the Holiday Binge and Bulge’. . . ‘Top Tips to Avoid Overindulging This Holiday Season’. . . ‘The Skinny on Holiday Weight Gain’. . . ‘Trim the Turkey, Trim the Tree, and Trim You.”

To offset all the negative messages of avoidance and constraint, my holiday is going to be all about INDULGENCE!

And my Top 5 Indulgences of this Season are. . . (drum roll!)

SINGING
I am going to indulge in the many opportunities to sing during the festive season. Singing is good for us! I have been blessed by the opportunity to sing with a magical community choir of talented songful people led by the incredible Laurel Collins.

Many studies have provided overwhelming evidence of the health benefits of singing:

• releases endorphins making us feel energized and calm at the same time
• releases the hormone oxytocin which has been found to alleviate anxiety and stress and stimulate feelings of trust and bonding,
• gives the lungs a workout and helps release muscle tension
• tones abdominal muscles and the diaphragm
• stimulates circulation and makes us breathe deeply and take in more oxygen
• improves our aerobic capacity, and
• People who sing are healthier than people who don’t. And more good news, you don’t have to be a pro (or even a good singer) to reap the benefits.

So indulge! Sing with the carollers in the mall, organize a carolling night, sing in the car on your commute, sing in the shower, sing off key! Sing often, sing loud! Fa La La La La!

Here are two great articles on the benefits of singing:

Singing Changes Your Brain | TIME.com

Singing as part of a choir has the same calming health benefits as yoga, study finds

GIVING
I will indulge in giving my time, my attention, my hugs, my laughter, my food.

Giving has many health benefits – emotional, mental and physical. For example, recent research suggests that people who volunteer tend to experience fewer aches and pains. Other studies show that when we give from the heart, we and the recipient of our giving experience a substantial bump in serotonin, our happy, feel good hormone.

But it doesn’t stop there. The same research showed that people who observed the giving also got the same increase in serotonin production as the person who received it!! Anyone who witnessed the act and even anyone who later heard about it also benefited from elevated levels of serotonin.
So why would we want or need this boost in serotonin?

Deficiencies in serotonin can lead to depression and anxiety. But the proper levels regulate our moods, promote feelings of comfort, contentment, relaxation and well-being, and improve sleep, digestion, memory, learning abilities, heart health and sexual desire. Another function of serotonin is it helps control the release of insulin which we know affects our blood sugar, appetite, metabolism and weight.

There we have it, giving and feeling good is healthy and contagious! And it’s so simple. Giving hugs, attention, or simple acts of kindness have huge ‘ripples in a pond’ positive effect.

BREATHING
I recently attended a yoga class where the instructor was emphasizing the importance of breath. He made a profound statement, ‘Breathing is one of the most powerful and transformative tools at our disposal. We fight for our first breath, we fight for our last breath, and in between, we forget about the importance and power of our breath.’

The breath of life! Individual differences aside, we can live approximately 3 weeks without food and 3 days without water. But we can live only 3 minutes without air!

Deep diaphragmatic breathing techniques have been shown to be extremely effective in managing chronic stress, depression, and anxiety. By invoking the body’s relaxation response it supports healing and calms the nervous system by bringing our stress hormones back into normal balance. If that’s not enough incentive to breathe deeply and often, it’s also great for weight management.

Indulge yourself with 20 deep belly breaths morning and afternoon.

RESTING
Taking time to do nothing can make us healthier and more energetic. It enhances our joie de vive! And it can make us more productive too!

I am going to do a minimum of one luxuriously indulgent restful thing every day over the festive season. Sleep in if I want. Maybe take an afternoon nap. I’m going to spend time unplugged – no technology. Maybe I’ll be really radical and spend a few consecutive days of no technology!

I’m going to take a book (non-work related) and hang out at my favourite local coffee spot (Thanks Rusticana Cindy & Ron for creating such a warm and welcoming gathering place). I’ll take a long meandering walk and forget about whether I’m in my heart rate zone. And I’ll make sure to practice restorative yoga with the brilliant and beautiful yogi, Sarah Loewen. Bring on the Savasana. Ahhh!

PLAYING
My favourite thing about the holiday season is spending time with and sharing laughter with the people I love, so I am going to indulge in lots of playtime with them!!

Play is vital for creativity and problem solving. It bonds relationships. It generates optimism. Play is fun. It brings us joy. It stimulates the immune system. Studies show that those who don’t have play in their lives have a higher risk for stress related diseases, mental health issues and addiction. Lots of great reasons to indulge in play!

May your Season of Joy be filled with great indulgence in the blessings of family and friends, love and laughter, good food, good health, and gratitude for this abundant life!

Gerry