Key Takeaways
- During the busy holiday season, it’s easy to lose sight of health and wellness
- It is important to stay active, eat mindfully, and focus on your mental health throughout the year
- Preparing in advance can help make the holidays as enjoyable, stress-free, and healthy as possible
- This article discusses 12 ways that you can prioritize your health and wellbeing during the holidays, as well as products that you can use to stay well!
Top Products in This Article
1. Regularly Wash Your Hands
The best way to prevent the spread of germs is to frequently wash your hands.1 While cold and influenza viruses spread year-round, most of the time their activity peaks during the winter months. Germs are easily spread when individuals congregate inside during the holiday season. To properly wash your hands, wet them with clean, running water and apply soap. Create a lather by rubbing your hands together with the soap. Make sure to lather the fronts and backs of your hands, between your fingers, and under your nails for at least 20 seconds before rinsing.
2. Bundle Up
It is important to bundle up to stay dry and warm while outside during the cold winter months. To do so, wear appropriate outdoor clothing: multiple light, warm layers, gloves, hats, scarves, and waterproof boots.1
3. Limit Indulging
A single substantial meal at Thanksgiving or on New Year’s Eve will not cause you to gain weight.2 However, the calories can quickly add up when special occasions turn into everyday binges. It is important to practice self-control during the holidays when it comes to eating. Just because unhealthy foods are more readily available at holiday events, doesn’t mean you need to eat them. Try your best to only splurge at specific times. This will help reduce weight gain and allow you to look forward to special events even more.
4. Maintain Your Immunity
The holidays can be stressful. When combined with an increase in sugar intake and coming into close contact with others who are sick, they are an invitation for colds and the flu.2 Nobody wants to feel under the weather, especially during the holiday season. To maintain your immunity, eat plenty of foods rich in vitamin C, stay active, and ensure that you are getting at least 7 hours of rest.
For additional tips to strengthen your immune system, check out this article!
5. Manage Stress
If you are feeling stressed out, overwhelmed, and out of control, make sure to take a break. Some of the best ways to manage stress are to study and practice relaxation techniques, reduce stress triggers, exercise, and socialize. Long-term stress-relief strategies are essential for lasting health.
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For more ways to reduce holiday stress for you and your family, check out:
6. Watch Your Alcohol Intake
We all know that drinking too much can have adverse effects, but did you know it can also cause you to make poor eating decisions and decrease your immunity? Studies indicate that consuming alcoholic beverages with high amounts of sugar, such as cocktails, can greatly increase your chances of getting sick.2 Instead of alcohol, consider drinking something with less sugar this holiday season, such as club soda.
7. Avoid Smoking
Smoking can cause immediate symptoms, such as coughing accompanied by a sore throat, as well as nausea, lightheadedness, dizziness, and other unpleasant side effects. This unhealthy habit also weakens your immune system and makes you more susceptible to infections, such as pneumonia and influenza, in addition to more severe and longer-lasting illnesses. Chronic smokers have lower levels of protective antioxidants in their blood and may have a difficult time fighting off diseases. Avoid smoking to keep yourself and your loved ones healthy this holiday season!
8. Prioritize Exercise
Regular exercise helps boost endorphins and reduce stress. While it can be easy to forgo your workout routine during the holidays, it is best to stay on track as much as possible. One of the best ways to stick to your exercise plan is to create a schedule in advance. This will help you prioritize working out and help you hold yourself accountable. Are you planning to travel this holiday season? No worries, a CLX resistance band is a great way to stay in shape while on the go!
Are you more of a beginner looking to practice simple upper and lower body exercises? Check out the TheraBand Resistance Band Beginner Kit and our Complete Beginner's Guide to Working Out!
9. Delegate Responsibilities
Between juggling work, cooking for gatherings, and purchasing gifts, this time of year can be overwhelming. It is important to manage holiday stress. To reduce the feeling of overload, ask your friends and family for help with cooking, gift wrapping, and other holiday tasks. Delegating responsibilities is a great way to reduce anxiety if you feel like you have taken on more than you can handle. This will help everyone get involved in holiday preparations and reduce burnout.
10. Get Enough Sleep
Stress and sleep are closely related. Stress negatively impacts your sleep quality and duration, and insufficient sleep increases stress levels. A combination of stress and a lack of sleep can contribute to long-term physical and mental health problems. To get a good night's rest, set time aside at the end of the day to unwind. Shut off electronics an hour before going to bed and adopt a routine sleeping schedule. Keep in mind that the average adult needs at least 7 hours of rest each night.
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11. Take Time for Self-Care
The end of the year comes with added stressors such as deadlines, crowds, and interactions with difficult family members. To manage stress, it is crucial to make time for TLC. Allocating just a few minutes a day to breathe deeply, chat with a friend, stretch, or practice simple yoga poses can make a big difference.2 Step up your self-care this holiday season to dial down stress and feel rejuvenated.
Looking to implement yoga into your self-care routine? Our CanDo Yoga Mat is lightweight and thin, making it perfect for on-the-go relaxation!
For more self-care tips, try reading:
- How to Enjoy Spa Pampering at Home
- 5 Self Care Tips for Caregivers
- Self-Care for Nurses: At Work and At Home
12. Eat a Balanced Diet
We have all heard the saying “you are what you eat.” It is important to eat nutritious foods to stay healthy and fit. A balanced diet helps strengthen your immune system and keeps you fueled throughout the day. To stay healthy this holiday season, eat a variety of fruits and vegetables. These foods are full of healthy nutrients and help lower your risk for certain diseases. Another health tip is to limit your portion sizes, as well as foods high in fat, salt, and sugar or those that are highly processed.
Get more nutrition tips in these articles:
While the holidays are meant to be a time of joy and cheer, they can also be stressful in many ways. Overall health and wellbeing are not always prioritized during this busy season. To stay healthy and enjoy this special time of year, it is important to take the measures necessary to boost your immunity.
References
1. 12 Ways to Have a Healthy Holiday Season. (2019, December 10). Retrieved from https://bit.ly/3djfv21
2. How to Stay Healthy During the Holidays: MaxLiving. (2020, June 17). Retrieved from https://bit.ly/3lwFIyQ
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