The holiday season is here, and for many of us, that means we’ll spend a week or more skipping breakfast, snacking all day, eating big dinners, and staying up late drinking. We’re not our best selves under these conditions. At the same time, we spend lots of time with family members who might not be easy to deal with. So it’s no wonder we routinely gain weight during the holidays and get stressed out.

But here’s a simple hack to avoid the weight gain, stay sane, and still have a great time:

Schedule your days.

Before going to bed, write the next day’s itinerary. Plan when you’ll exercise, eat, socialize… everything. Schedule in  limitations like the number of drinks you’ll have or the types of conversations you hope to have.

Here’s an example of a Saturday holiday schedule with extended family:

10 am: Wake up
10 – 10:30: Do a Power 20 workout. Try to recruit sister.
10:30 – 12 pm: Make brunch for the family. Have just one serving!
12 – 12:30: Meditate
12:30 – 1: Go for a walk with Dad.
1 – 2:30: Go for coffee with cousins. Don’t argue with racist cousin Jim.
2:30 – 5: Catch up with Uncle Bob, Aunty Ella, and Grandma.
5 – 5:30: Take a nap.
5:30 – 6: Get ready for dinner.
6 – 8: Dinner. Just one serving!
8 – 12 am: Drinks with friends. Just two drinks and water!

By scheduling your vacation time, you’ll commit to better behaviors. Scheduling may seem unnatural but it can lead to more meaningful interactions.

Without the schedule you might get sucked into a three-hour video game and neglect to exercise. And without limits, you might  ruin the entire weekend getting sucked into an argument with your racist cousin Jim.

It’s ok if you veer from the schedule. Writing the day out is a helpful exercise, and if you can achieve even half your written goals, you will have made good use of your holidays.

Try it and let us know how it goes!