Jingle Well: Essential Self-Care Tips for the Holiday Season

During the holiday season, a time when you’re more focused on giving and celebrating with others, it’s easy to neglect your own health, leaving you feeling as rundown as a melted snowman.

But by following a few simple self-care steps, you can keep yourself feeling healthy and festive throughout the holiday season.

Prioritize sleep

Stress is the biggest culprit when it comes to sleep problems. And let’s be honest, the holiday season can be stressful. The good news is, with some simple changes to your routine, you can help minimize holiday anxiety and get some much-needed shuteye.¹

• Go easy on the spiked egg nog. Too much alcohol, especially near bedtime, can reduce deep sleep and negatively impact the sleep you get.

• A silent night’s sleep starts when the sun is shining. By getting outside and enjoying some sunshine and exercise during the day, you’ll help maintain a healthy wake-sleep cycle, so you’ll enjoy more sound sleep.

• Give yourself the gift of a relaxing routine. At bedtime, turn off your phone, tv or computer. Instead of screentime, treat yourself to a warm bath, meditation, yoga or a cup of herbal tea for a boost of relaxing melatonin.

Fuel up with the right foods

This time of year, it’s almost impossible to avoid spreads of tasty holiday treats. With some smart eating choices and a little planning, you can still enjoy those seasonal goodies without feeling like you’ve overindulged.²

• Make regular meals a holiday tradition. Skipping meals with the hope of saving room for holiday treats can lead to overindulging. At the very least, have a light snack before heading to a holiday gathering to keep from being too hungry when you arrive.

• Decorate your plate for the holidays. Give at least half your plate a festive flair by covering it with colorful fruits and vegetables.

• Catch up with Uncle Joe away from the buffet. When socializing with friends and family put some distance between you and the holiday spread to avoid temptation.

• Only turkeys should be stuffed. Eat slowly until you’re satisfied and then stop before you feel too full.

Steps to manage holiday stress

The holidays are a joyful time of year. But all that celebrating can make them stressful too. Managing stress this time of year means carving out time in your busy schedule to shift your focus from the festivities to taking care of yourself.

• If the weather isn’t too frightful, get outside. Research shows that spending as little as a couple hours a week in nature lowers our stress levels and boosts our mood. So, if you’re feeling overwhelmed, start by taking a walk in a park, hiking a nature trail or strolling along the beach.³

• Baby it’s cold outside, so exercise indoors. While a walk in the great outdoors is ideal, if Old Man Winter keeps you indoors, head to the gym or dust off that treadmill in the basement and get in a workout. To beat the holiday blues, strive for 150 minutes a week of exercise.⁴

• Turn off those tired holiday reruns. Music can lift your mood. So instead of watching tv, put your feet up and enjoy some of your favorite holiday tunes.⁵

The holidays are meant to be a festive and fun time of celebration. While they can also sometimes be stressful and overwhelming, with the right self-care routine, you can feel jolly and joyful all season long.

Sources: 

1. cnet.com/health/sleep/silent-night-expert-tips-for-sleeping-well-during-the-holidays/

2. newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org/discussion/10-healthy-holiday-nutrition-tips/

3. heart.org/en/healthy-living/healthy-lifestyle/stress-management/spend-time-in-nature-to-reduce-stress-and-anxiety

4. heart.org/en/healthy-living/healthy-lifestyle/stress-management/holiday-stress-try-our-top-5-tips-for-a-healthy-holiday-season

5. heart.org/en/healthy-living/fitness/getting-active/how-to-move-more-anytime-anywhere