Last month, we acknowledged the mixed emotions many of us feel when we anticipate the holidays. As we talked about, one of the most important ways to support our well-being this time of year is to prioritize and deepen family connection during the holidays. 

In this post, you’ll find:

🙏🏼 6 ways to promote connection and healthy habits with your family over the holidays
🙏🏼 Our top 10 gift ideas to support well-being
🙏🏼 Healthy, delicious holiday recipes
🙏🏼 Holiday specials to SAVE at Faithfully Guided

1. Invite loved ones outside

The holidays involve lots of cozy time inside, but it’s also a great opportunity to enjoy being active outdoors together! This is especially true since we’re still blessed with warmer weather here in Florida. When your friends and family come over to celebrate, try planning a daily walk, hike, or game of kickball (or whatever fun sport you like). This also helps encourage people to put down their cell phones. You never know—it could become a new holiday tradition. 

2. Challenge each other to healthy cook-offs

Food is an important part of the holidays! Why not encourage balance with a healthy dose of competition? Pick a few dishes and assign teams to each one. The challenge? Cook up the yummiest and most nutritious version you can! You can even get creative and create a scoring system if you like. If you or a loved one struggles to think of healthy meals, this could be a great way to get inspired.

3. Ask connecting questions

Speaking of meals, they’re one of our favorite times to connect. Mealtime conversations get so much better when we go beyond questions like “How was your day?” Try these conversation starters and see where they take you.

• What is hard for you right now?
• What is comforting or soothing you right now?
• What are you grateful for?
• What do you see God doing in your life right now?
• What goals do you want to pursue next year?

4. Give back as a group

Spreading kindness as a family feels amazing and can make such a difference in your community. It doesn’t have to be complicated.  A few simple gestures can go a long way—both for the people you’re giving back to, and for your family’s bonds. Try some of these ideas: 

• Randomly pay for someone’s coffee or meal
• Leave an anonymous gift for a neighbor
• Volunteer for a local charity
• Donate to a gift-giving organization like Toys for Tots
• Put thoughtful cards on car windshields
• Send an e-gift card to a friend for coffee

5. Read together

We all love a good holiday movie night, and you should enjoy those too! But have you ever tried reading as a family? We love reading books, especially children’s books, around the table during family gatherings. It’s wonderful for children, but also for adults. Here are a few of our favorite books for family reading. 

• Advent 2024 She Reads Truth
• Maybe: A Story About the Endless Potential in All of Us by Kobi Yamada
• Theolaby by Jennie Allen

6. Embrace self-care

Surprised to see this in an email about family connection? Well, one of the most underrated ways to encourage better connection with each other is by giving ourselves time to go inward. When we recharge, we can embrace time together even more. 

Remember to “schedule in” some intentional alone time over the holidays. It doesn’t have to be long. It could be a few moments of reading, journaling, walking, mindful prayer—maybe a nice bubble bath! By taking time to support yourself, you can enjoy your time with loved ones even more.  

Gift ideas to honor well-being

We love to give friends and family gifts that help them support a healthy lifestyle. Here are our top 10 this year:

Nod Pod: The Weighted Blanket For Your Eyes
Primarily Pure: Jade Gua Sha Stone
Green Pan Non-Toxic Pots and Pans
Ogee Make-up
HigherDOSE Red Light Face Mask
Our Place Splendor Blender
Rebounder Trampoline
Our Place Wonder Oven
Plunge Cold Plunge
Sunlighten Infrared Sauna
Clearlight Infrared Saunas

Healthy Holiday Recipes

A few mindful swaps can turn your holiday favorites into more nourishing options.

Mocktails to Limit Alcohol
Reducing alcohol consumption is an impactful way to reduce inflammation in your body. Whether you’ve decided to avoid alcohol completely or you just want some tasty alternatives once in a while, a creative mocktail makes all the difference.

We LOVE the recipes by Three Spirit Drinks. 

Healthy Charcuterie
Who doesn’t love a good charcuterie board? They’re full of different flavors, they’re pretty, and they’re easy to graze on when you’re gathering with loved ones. Your board doesn’t have to be ALL high-fat-high-salt meat and cheese. You can make it healthier (and still delicious) by incorporating more veggies, whole grains, intentional meats, and nuts.

Check out this article by Eating Well for inspiration. 

Holiday Specials 🎄 10 hyperbaric oxygen therapy sessions plus wellness consult | $525 (valued at $850) 5 mud baths | $300 (valued at $475) 10 Brain Tap or Alpha Stim with LED Light Therapy | $100 (valued at $200) 10 sauna sessions | $100 (valued at $250) Package of 5 counseling sessions l | $525 (valued at $800) 3 Myers Cocktail IV therapy sessions | $365 (valued at $480) 10 ozone therapy sessions | $800 (valued at $1350) 10 cold plunges | $80 (valued at $130) Enjoy 50% off our Restorative Membership Includes weekly access to Infrared Sauna, Alpha Stim, Brain Tap, Targeted LED Light Therapy, Cold Plunge Therapy | $87.50 monthly (valued at $175 monthly) More ways to SAVE at Faithfully Guided!  Loyalty Program: Tag us on social media sharing an experience 10 times and receive a $20 credit towards any service.  Get your punch card at the front desk. New Patient Referral Program: Get a $50 credit added to your account every time you refer someone who completes a Counseling or Medical Discovery Process.

Remember, you don’t have to wait until New Year’s to start your health goals!  You can start now by booking a Faithfully Guided appointment via your client portal.  New to Faithfully Guided? Begin the process by registering as a patient! 💞