Holiday Toolkit to Stay Healthy

No matter how you celebrate the holidays, prioritizing the health of you and your loved ones can help you make the most of the season. Reflect on what steps you can take to prevent holiday burnout by considering some of the categories below.  

Staying Healthy for the Holidays

• Mental health: While the holidays often bring joy and celebration, that doesn’t mean every aspect of them is easy. You may find yourself feeling sad, anxious, irritable or having trouble sleeping. Take a step back and evaluate how to best care for your emotional wellbeing.
• Self-care: Family gatherings and social outings can compete for your time and energy during the holidays. Whether you indulge in a hot bath or treat yourself to a midday nap, taking care of yourself can help you enjoy your time with loved ones even more. Use a few of the self-care suggestions below to relax and recharge. 
  • Go for a walk outside 
  • Call an old friend 
  • Get a massage 
  • Watch a favorite holiday movie 
  • Snuggle with a pet 
  • Listen to music
• Time Management: Taking care of yourself and others while accomplishing holiday tasks may leave you feeling stressed or disorganized. Prioritize what is important to you and give yourself permission to let some activities go this year to focus on your wellbeing. Outline a plan long before the holidays begin and don’t forget to schedule breaks.
• Physical health: With busy calendars, changing weather and a bounty of delicious food, focusing on your physical health might seem like the last thing on your mind. Go into the holidays with a plan, so you’ll still feel energized when the festivities are over.
  • Exercise: Moving your body for 30 minutes each day can prevent numerous long-term health complications and improve your state of mind. Can you make physical activity a part of your holiday, vacation or special event? Try adding a morning or evening walk, swimming, dancing or yoga into your weekly routine.
  • Diet: Holiday parties and family gatherings can challenge your healthy habits. You don’t have to sacrifice all your favorite food and drink items, but setting intentions about quantity and quality ahead of time can help you avoid overindulging. Have a plan for what types of food and drink you will consume and how often. 
  • Staying healthy for the holidays is more than avoiding desserts or getting enough sleep. Incorporating even one small healthy action each day can make your holidays more enjoyable and relaxing.  

Dealing with Stress 

The holidays can bring a lot of stress, leaving most of us feeling anxious or exhausted. Prepare yourself for the season and take steps to cope with all that that arises. Here are tips to reduce holiday stress.

• Recognize when you are getting stressed. When the holidays come around, it’s easy to get so busy that you forget to pay attention to the warning signs that you are becoming stressed. Some signs of stress can include problems sleeping, being more irritable, feeling depressed or having body aches. 

• Know your limitations. It is easy to feel over-extended during the holidays and feel you have no time to get things done. You may take on too many responsibilities and obligations that you find yourself getting stressed and tired. When you start getting to your capacity, it is okay to tell people, “No.” Prioritize what is important to you and give yourself permission to let some things go. 
• Know your financial limitations. Set a budget of what you are willing to spend this holiday season. A lot of stress comes from the money spent wanting to get the perfect gift for that special someone or for your children. Letting your children know that some things are too expensive and that even Santa Claus has a budget is okay. You can get someone a meaningful and personal gift without having to spend a fortune. 
• Be realistic with your goals. During the holidays, expectations can cause stress as you try to figure out how you are going to accomplish everything. Take a step back and reassess your goals. Ask yourself if your goals are realistic. Can you accomplish everything you want? Is the goal set so high that achieving it is impossible? Are you giving yourself enough time to get what you want done? Keep these questions in mind when setting your goals. 
• Take time for yourself. There is no written rule that says that you have to be there for everyone all the time. It is important that you take a break once in a while to give yourself a chance to rest and recharge your batteries. You must ensure you keep doing those little things that keep you healthy, like sleeping.  
• Avoid excessive alcohol or other drug use. It is easy during the holidays to get caught up in the festivities and holiday parties, especially when you feel stressed. However, drug use or too much alcohol can create more problems that can be easily avoided.

Setting Holiday Boundaries

If the thought of going home for the holidays brings forth some difficult emotions, you’re not alone. Family conflicts and a lack of boundaries can make some gatherings less than enjoyable.  Still, avoiding family gatherings isn’t your only option. Here are a few ways to set boundaries around holiday events. 

• Communicate your needs. This is the first step in boundary-setting. Decide what you need to feel comfortable and communicate that beforehand. Examples would be asking your grandparents not to comment on your relationship status or your dad not to ask about your job.
• Decide on a time to leave beforehand. Having a set time to go will help you to enjoy your time with loved ones without wearing yourself out. Being around individuals you may not feel comfortable around can be exhausting, and boundaries will become more challenging the longer you’re there. Decide how much you can handle in advance and stick to that timeframe.
• Come up with neutral topic changers. Topics like politics and the state of the world can quickly escalate emotions and lead to conflict. Try coming up with a few neutral subjects to bring up if a conversation starts to go in a controversial direction. An example of this would be a funny story about a pet or child, a new hobby you have recently started or even asking for the recipe of a dish served.
• Practice compassion and empathy. It’s important to remember that we’re all human, and everyone makes mistakes. Maintaining healthy relationships relies on both parties practicing compassion, empathy and good communication.
• Prepare for unsolicited comments. While you may express boundaries around topics you wish to avoid, others may ignore those requests. Prepare yourself to respond calmly by using phrases like “I would appreciate it if we didn’t discuss this,” or “please don’t comment on [issue].”

Finding Peace

The holidays tend to bring shopping, parties, presents and extra doses of stress. When the busyness of the season is at its peak, it can be hard to stop and regroup. Use the suggestions below to stay centered, especially if the holidays have taken an emotional toll on you in the past. 

• Be realistic. The holidays don’t have to be perfect or the same year after year. As families change and grow, traditions and rituals often change as well. Choose a few to hold on to and be open to creating new ones. 
• Stick to a budget. Decide how much money you can afford to spend this year, then stick to your budget.  Overextending yourself financially can be a source of stress long after the holidays are over. 
• Learn to say no. Saying yes when you don’t have the time or desire can leave you feeling resentful and stressed. Friends and colleagues will understand if you can’t participate in every project or activity.  
• Don’t abandon healthy habits. Choose some indulgences this year – an occasional late night, skipped workout or big festive meal is part of the holiday fun. Otherwise, stick to your sleep, exercise and eating routines as much as you can to help maintain your mental and physical health.  
• Set aside differences. Family support is important, even in the face of challenges and issues. Keep conversation light, making sure to avoid topics that are known to cause family tension. Prepare and practice what you might say if a conversation gets heated, such as “Let’s move on for now.” Stop before speaking and take time to respond.  
• Acknowledge your feelings. If you can’t be with family and friends this year or have experienced the loss of a loved one, it’s normal to feel sadness and grief. Opting out of some seasonal hustle and bustle may be important for your emotional wellbeing. Take time to express your feelings with someone you trust. Writing in a journal can also be a good outlet.  
• Reach out. If you feel lonely or isolated, connecting with others can help. Say hello to neighbors, write holiday cards, or pick up the phone and call an old friend you haven’t spoken to in a while. You are far from the only person feeling down this holiday season, and it may be surprising how eager others are to connect if you give them a chance.

If the stress of the holidays becomes too challenging or other things contribute to your stress, talking to a mental health professional can help.