Skip to main content

Reduce Holiday Stress for Better Health


The holidays are known for bringing us all together with dinners, desserts, adult beverages, and too much turkey. They also come with unwanted baggage, including stress or, in extreme cases, depression. The pandemic will only increase this with COVID restrictions, inflation, shortages on certain goods, and the rising costs of travel. High levels of stress can lead to cravings, skipping exercise, and binge eating. You're going to deal with it, but applying the strategies below can reduce how it will affect your overall health.

Have a Plan

I discussed this in my original holiday post about fitness and health, but it applies to reducing stress as well. There are a lot of different events that will come up over the holidays. Here are some steps to help fit it all in.

  1. Prioritize what matters to you. If you know about events in advance (annual holiday work party, dinner at your in-laws', Black Friday, etc.) you can list them out from most to least important to you.
  2. Build out your calendar and set aside time for the things you decided are most important. That includes time to shop, time to bake, time to exercise, and time for self care. Plan your menus and make shopping lists, this will prevent you from being stressed about what to buy at crowded stores.
  3. Learn to say "no". You are not required to go to every social event you're invited to. Anyone with an extended family or separated parents in the same town knows what it is like to have to attend multiple Thanksgiving dinners. If something is mandatory, like work events, then reduce time somewhere else. Again, focus on what is important to you.


Stick to a Budget

Finances can be one of the greatest causes of stress at anytime in our life, and even more so during the holidays. Before you do your gift and food shopping, know how much you can spend without going into debt. Buying expensive gifts you can't afford for someone isn't going to buy them, or you, happiness. Especially if you're going to spend the next year paying it off (with interest). 

Maintain Healthy Habits 

This blog is about fitness and health, so I'm sure you saw this one coming. This may seem like it will cause more stress, but it will actually do the opposite. You're going to get off track a day or two, but quickly getting back to healthy habits the next day is what matters.

  1. Take a breather. Set aside side for yourself to relax. It may be as simple as quietly sitting and listening to your favorite true crime podcast or getting a massage. If you haven't tried meditation, there are some great guided meditation apps that will help you deal with the stress you might be experiencing.
  2. Get regular sleep. Try to get to bed and wake up the same time every day. This will maintain your circadian rhythm and hormones which can affect your appetite. I feel like my mother stating "nothing good happens after midnight". As I get older and prioritize my health it couldn't be more true. 
  3. Eat (mostly) healthy meals. I would aim for at least 80% of the time. Eating healthy in between the holiday treats will not only help you maintain your goals, it will improve your bodily functions, mood, and overall health.
  4. Get regular exercise. As I stated in my first post, you need to focus on what you can do and not what you can't. With a busy holiday schedule and travel it will be difficult to maintain your normal routine. However, going for a walk, a home workout, raking leaves, or shoveling snow is still activity. 

Reach Out

For some people the holidays can be lonely and isolating. The pandemic has made travel difficult and airline ticket prices only seem to be going up. Seek out community events at recreation centers, local schools, and religious organizations. Volunteering is also a great way to connect to others while giving a sense of belonging and contribution.



Conclusion

Employ these strategies and don't let the stress of the holidays get the best of you. If you like this post or found it in anyway helpful, please share it! If you need help with time management, nutrition, or fitness during the holidays and beyond, feel free to email me at sean@sgrcoach.com. Consultations are free.

Throughout November and December, I am offering two free weeks of online training. I'll also be setting up a 30-day fitness challenge starting November 28th. Follow me on Facebook and Instagram, or look for information on the Iron-bound Gym pages.

Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

It's the Holidays, Say "Yes" to Dessert

Let me start off stating that I'm not going to tell you to throw your tentative plan to survive holiday weight gain in the trash and eat an entire pumpkin pie in one sitting. What I am going to tell you is that you need to allow yourself to have dessert over the holidays.  Numerous studies show that restrictive dieting leads to binge eating.  If you tell yourself "I'm not going to eat any sweets or desserts", you're eventually going to find yourself in your kitchen late at night with a can of whip cream and the apple pie that was meant for tomorrow's holiday party...and you're probably not going to share. So what do you do? This is where understanding the food you eat in regards to  calories, nutrients, and portions. This would allow you to look at your daily macronutrient goals and plan to make room for dessert. This is a learned skill that you can develop on your own or more quickly with the help of a nutrition coach.   For now, let's look at the bas...
Post a Comment
Read more

Recipe: Whole Wheat Pumpkin Muffins

Pumpkin is one of my favorite flavors. I say flavor, not vegetable, because most people in the U.S. do not eat pumpkin in its vegetable form. Instead they enjoy it as a flavor in coffee, cookies, cakes, and pie.  Unfortunately, the majority of those forms of pumpkin are loaded with extra sugars and fats while being devoid of the many nutrients found in the pumpkin itself. This recipe is a middle ground for me. I get the health benefits and taste of pumpkin without all the extra calories or guilt I get from eating half a pumpkin pie. I also get fiber, which will help make me feel full longer. A lot of the ingredients I use can be swapped out, but it will change the calories and macros. For example, you can swap the egg beaters for two whole eggs, but you're adding 10g of fat to the recipe.  The same goes for your choice of sweetener. Stevia is zero calorie while agave syrup would add 480cal and 124g of carbohydrates. For my recipe I split between two; 1/4 cup Stevia and 1/4 cup...
Post a Comment
Read more