Eight Ways to Flourish During the Wild Ride of the Holidays
Author: Dr. Megan Wiley, PT, DPT, WHC, RWP-1, CPT
The holidays are a time of love and joy full of festive get-togethers with family and friends, cherished traditions, and wonder and magic in little kids’ eyes. It can also be a whole lot of work, stress and plain out exhaustion. Instead of instilling a sense of peace and calm throughout the season we often end up on the other side in January trying to come up for air and cleaning up the aftermath of six weeks of running around, parties, over packed schedules, overspending, delicious baked goods, cocktails and throwing self care out the window for the sake of time.
I have found through my practice that for women, January is the worst month for periods and PMS. For everyone in general, January tends to spike fatigue, gut issues, skin problems, weight gain and poor mood. Then we add on the prevalence of cold and flu season, which is only enhanced by our lowered immune systems from all of the aforementioned “holiday cheer.” There is a reason gyms are packed in January as people have a new motivation to get healthy again and “start fresh.”
What if we could not only prevent that post-holiday slump, but actually thrive during the holidays? What if we didn’t have to play catch up for the first several months of the year, but instead went to that New Year’s party actually feeling good? By prioritizing the foundations of health - nutrition, stress, sleep, movement and connection - and implementing self care in small doses, we can help bring balance into this season.
Here are eight tips to come out of the holiday season without a month-long-holiday-hangover in January:
Food before alcohol: Eat a meal that is balanced with protein, fat and fiber prior to having any alcohol to help mitigate the effects and keep your blood sugar levels more steady. In fact, this is a good rule of thumb for every meal and snack you have (and don’t skip meals in order to “save up” for a night out).
Drink Water!!! Remember to aim for half your body weight in ounces of pure water every day.
Choose your holiday cocktails wisely. Stick to things like vodka, tequila or gin on the rocks or in soda water, or organic red wine. Avoid sugary mixed drinks and large quantities of beer to minimize the blood sugar effects. Don’t forget that there are plenty of non-alcoholic fun options to try out these days as well.
Let protein help fill you up. When at a party, load up on things like vegetables and fruits as well as nuts, guacamole, hummus, meat and other protein sources.
Try to get in some daily exercise. Often exercise gets put on the back burner during the holidays but now more than ever it is so important to get some daily movement in to help with stress, keep blood sugar in check, and help prevent that holiday weight gain. Even if you don’t have time for a long workout, just a 10 minute walk outside can be a helpful reset during your day.
Bonus! Blood sugar spikes can ultimately lead to weight gain and poor metabolic health. Research has shown that taking just a 2-5 minute walk after meals can reduce these blood sugar spikes!(1)
Incorporate mini mindfulness moments throughout your day for self-care. Take a few deep breaths before getting out of the car and going into your house at the end of the day. Pause to listen or dance to a fun song (and do nothing else at the same time). Take the scenic way home just because. Wear a fun sweater or piece of jewelry you haven’t broken out in awhile. It doesn’t need to be a 30 minute meditation every day; little things that can calm the stress response and bring you joy will contribute to reducing cortisol and inflammation, making your day that much better.
Don’t put sleep on the back burner. When your plate is full and you’re constantly rushing, it’s tempting to make the days longer by skimping on sleep. However, sleep is required for building and repairing your physical body, for strengthening your immune system, and boosting energy and mood levels. So now more than ever, sleep needs to be a priority. Aim for 7-9 hours of sleep per night. Try to stick with a consistent evening routine and consistent bedtime as much as possible.
Enjoy it! The holidays are meant to be enjoyed. I hear so often from people that they want the holidays to just be over so they can get back on track and slow down a bit. The holidays should be a time to soak in the magic of the season and connect with family or loved ones. But if we are so busy running around to find the perfect gift for everyone on our list, or to take our kids to the perfect Christmas photo op after making sure they have the perfect outfits, are we really actually enjoying it?
Make sure this holiday season you do something every day that brings you a little bit of joy. Pick out a few key holiday traditions you want to make sure you do and let some of the other ones fall aside if you dread them more than love them. Use this time to slow down a little instead of needing everything to be perfect. Soak in some of the magic of the season!
Need help with keeping things in balance? Believe me, if it were this easy, we’d all be smooth sailing through December. We all have a lot going on. Especially if you’re already dealing with additional things like fatigue, digestive issues, joint pain, headaches, or sleep struggles, trying to add on anything else may feel unrealistic. Imagine streamlining your days with bite-sized habits that will make you feel better almost immediately, so that you have the energy and clear head to enjoy the fun this season. You can do just that when you work with one of our expert health coaches, who will help you embrace the “less is more” concept this holiday season. Now doesn’t that already feel like the stress is lifting?
(1) Buffey, A.J., Herring, M.P., Langley, C.K. et al. The Acute Effects of Interrupting Prolonged Sitting Time in Adults with Standing and Light-Intensity Walking on Biomarkers of Cardiometabolic Health in Adults: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis. Sports Med 52, 1765–1787 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40279-022-01649-4
