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The holidays can be a relaxing and socializing time, but they can also be a time of holiday stress. Experts give us some tips on how to maintain healthy stress levels during this holiday season while keeping COVID safe and being mindful of our body’s health.

COVID Safety

As vaccination rates increase, you can likely choose if you are spending the holidays with vaccinated, COVID-safe individuals. Regardless, you should wash your hands often to prevent the spread of germs. Similarly, you should stay warm and bundled up to not jeopardize your immune system. You may let a little loose during the holidays, but remember smoking causes health risks. Last but not least, monitor children’s activity to see they are keeping safe and having a good time.

Body Health

Holiday living isn’t always friendly to healthy living, especially when it comes to diets and routines.

Here are some easy diet tips to practice this holiday season:

1. Find healthy alternatives to your favorite dishes or substitute ingredients with their healthier counterparts. For example, use yogurt instead of mayonnaise, and bake instead of frying.
2. Exercise moderation. No need to push your body past its limits when it comes to food and desserts. Keep your portions smaller if you want to extend your mealtime, or if you have several meals planned throughout the day. Avoid foods that upset you.
3. Homemade foods instead of processed foods are a better idea. Canned, processed, and premade foods are full of salt and sugar that homemade foods usually don’t have.
4. Adding more vegetables to traditional dishes or using vegetable-based recipes as side dishes is an easy way to eat your greens while enjoying holiday meals!
5. Taking a walk after mealtimes can help your body digest. Research suggests it is best to take a walk directly after a meal to assist your digestion—and even get some alone time.

Managing Stress

The holiday season can come with heightened stress, or even depression. The demands are higher, financial stress is at play, and with guests around you may not get a moment to yourself. You may also be spending the holidays alone when you would like to have company or have recently lost a loved one.

Here are some tips to handle holiday-related stress:

1. Acknowledge your feelings and express them. If you can’t talk to someone, you can write them down. Whether your feelings are positive or negative, it is important to not keep them bottled up.
2. Reach out to friends, family, or the community. If you are feeling isolated and lonely or cannot (or don’t want to) reach out to friends and family, community events during the holiday season are an easy way to get some low-stakes socialization. Plenty of community programs organize more events around the holidays, and volunteering or participating is easy.
3. Plan ahead and keep your habits, as sticking to a routine or a schedule you are familiar with can help minimize stress. Take agency over holiday plans and keep your limits.

Overall, remember to prioritize the things that make you happy! Avoiding over committing to events that cause stress or are more of an obligation. Spend the time with the people you love doing things you enjoy.