“Staying Healthy This Holiday Season”
During the holidays, of course, our schedules get very hectic. Social events, gatherings, shopping trips, decorating trees, kids’ Christmas parties at school, et cetera… all add up to added stress and unavoidable unhealthy situations.
Did you know? Chronic stress will actually lower your immune system and cause other body systems to stop working the right way.
On top of bad choices of food, the portion sizes and constant snacking go up during the holidays as well.
Sprinkle into the equation that the colder weather makes it harder to get out and exercise… and this is undoubtedly a recipe for gaining unsightly body fat and getting sick.
Plus, more people around? Means more germs.
To protect your mind and body, follow these 9 best practices:
1) Get a flu shot. Duh.
2) Carry disinfecting wipes (and don’t forget to use them).
3) Balance your activity, cut out stressful activities and plan some downtime.
4) Delegate tasks to others. You can’t do it all by yourself. (At least, you shouldn’t.)
5) Read and relax. Exercise your brain while resting your body — seems to be working out alright for Warren Buffett.
6) Do what’s hardest for you straight away in the morning, so you can sort of cruise the rest of the day.
7) Get lots of sleep. Obvious, but when’s the last time you treated yourself to a quiet, uninterrupted 9 hours?
8) Don’t obsess over the food scenarios. Just cut down quantities, make the best choices you can, and most important — move more.
9) Talk to people. Holidays, for some, will get you down. Spending time around your loved ones will cheer you up. Your body releases “feel good” chemicals when you’re hanging with those who matter most.
10) (Bonus.) Enjoy some music when you need it: to motivate, to inspire, to energize — music, for me, is even more powerful than caffeine. Use it wisely to get more out of your holiday days.
If you act on these best practices, your mind, body, and blog will be happy and healthy.
