'Christmas hangovers are real, and I have one right now'

I was planning to sleep in today, but indigestion has woken me up.

I never plan to eat as much as I do on Christmas Day. I have a light breakfast and do a bit of exercise, then run around cleaning up after the kids as they unwrap their gifts, so there's my cardio.

Christmas lunch at my mum's is always delicious, but I rarely stuff myself — until the evening, when I'm tired and start tucking into the leftovers. And not just any leftovers. Rich, fatty, sugary, scrumptious leftovers.

Added to my indigestion this morning is aching muscles and joints, and that's not from the cardio of cleaning up after the kids. That was the 'weights' session I did carrying packages to and from the car when it was time to go.

Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed every minute of Christmas Day, but I'm not the only one paying the price for it today, I'm sure. The kids seem a little bit ragged too.

Here are some simple steps to recovering from a Christmas hangover so you can make the most of the festive season with family.

Clear your mind

Today isn't about doing anything too strenuous, which is exactly why I have booked our tickets to see the movie Croods 2 tomorrow. I just can't handle the craziness of Boxing Day at the cinemas.

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Tomorrow it will still be busy but not as busy, and I'll be rested, as will the kids.

Today is simply for pottering around the house, pottering around your kids and pottering in general.

Clean your house

Part of that pottering can include tidying your house, particularly if you were too tired to do it last night. A tidy house is soothing, and you'll have a lot of added clutter after Christmas so it helps to find a place for all of your new items as well.

Once your home is put back together, then you can truly relax.

Take a long, hot shower

Today isn't a day for strenuous exercise, unless you want to remember exactly what you ate on Christmas Day and especially if you are feeling a little sore. A long, hot shower will fix this and will also help to wake you up.

Go for a walk

Take the family for a walk for a bit of fresh air. The kids will want to play with all of their new Christmas toys, but they will still be waiting for them when they get home.

If some of those toys are soccer balls and scooters, this is the perfect day to take them to a local park and try them out.

Eat well

Do your best to avoid leftovers, for today at least.

It's good to give your tummy a break from all of that rich food and you can use it up tomorrow. Today is all about fruit and vegetables and salads and water.

If you do want to eat Christmas leftovers, have a small portion with a side of vegetables and salad followed by plenty of water.

Make a plan for tomorrow

Talk to the kids about what they want to do tomorrow, and plan it out so you don't end up cooped up at home for another day. You may see a movie, as we will be, or go to the park again.

A road trip to the beach or a local tourist attraction is perfect for today too.

Make some plans for the rest of the holidays

We get six weeks of holidays over the festive season, and even though it may seem long at the beginning, it goes by so quickly.

Make some loose plans for the rest of the holidays so you ensure you see everyone you want to see and do something each of the kids wants to do.

Plan it all out and, better still, write it all down and hang the schedule up on the fridge so the kids can follow along and aren't left surprised at the end of the break when you tell them school is going back in a few days.

Share your Christmas recovery trips by sending an email to 9Honey@nine.com.au.