Tips to Manage Stress During The Holidays
The holidays are charged with overwhelming emotions for all of us. As exciting and joyous they can be, it’s no doubt that they can cause a great deal of stress. December is the time where people can tend to over-exert themselves to fulfil the needs of their friends and families. The holidays present a dizzying array of demands — parties, shopping, baking, cleaning and entertaining, to name just a few. If you’re feeling overwhelmed and need some helpful tips to get through this holiday season, here we go.
When stress is at its peak, it’s hard to stop and regroup. The best course of action is to ‘nip it in the bud’ and regulate yourself before your stress snowballs. Here is a list of tips you may find helpful in managing your holiday stress:
Acknowledge your feelings: Whatever it is you’re feeling, it’s completely okay to let yourself feel that feeling. Life can get difficult. If you’re going through a hard time this holiday season, whether it’s the death of a loved one, the end of a relationship, or an unexplainable rut you can’t seem to get out of, tell yourself you’re allowed to be upset. You can’t just force yourself to be happy because it’s the holiday season.
Reach out: If you feel lonely or isolated, seek out community, religious or other social events. They can offer support and companionship. Volunteering is also a great way to help others and heighten your spirits.
Be realistic: The holidays don’t have to be perfect. They also don’t have to stay the same every single year. Life changes and so do family dynamics. Accept what you can’t control and have an open mind to change. For example, if your children can’t make it to your holiday party, find another way to connect with them like Facetiming or sharing videos and photos.
Set aside differences: Try to accept family members and friends as they are, even if they don’t live up to all of your expectations. Think of the holidays as a time to connect and make memories, not as a time to dig up old feuds. If you can’t set aside your differences, try to take a break so you don’t end up hurting a friend or a relative. Chances are that the person you are stressed to see is just as stressed as you are.
Stick to a budget: Before you go shopping make a gift list. Allocate a certain budget for certain people and gifts and stick to it! It’s easy to get carried away with holiday shopping. The last thing you want to do is try and buy someone’s love with an avalanche of gifts.
Try these alternatives:
- Donate to a charity in someone’s name.
- Give homemade gifts.
- Start a family gift exchange.
Plan ahead: Set aside specific days for shopping, baking, visiting friends and other activities. Plan your menus and then make your shopping list. That’ll help prevent last-minute scrambling to buy forgotten ingredients. And make sure to line up help for party prep and cleanup.
Learn to say no: Saying yes when you should say no can leave you feeling resentful and flooded. Friends and colleagues will understand if you can’t participate in every project or activity.
Take care of yourself: And don’t abandon healthy habits. Don’t let the holidays become a free-for-all. Overindulgence only adds to your stress and guilt. Here are a few suggestions:
- Consciously choosing the healthy food options for holiday events
- Listening to soothing music after a night out.
- Cooking yourself a nice meal.
- Working out.
- Getting a massage.
- Reading a book.
- Breathe.
Seek professional help if you need it. Despite your best efforts, you may find yourself feeling persistently irritable, anxious, sad, unfocused, hopeless and unable to carry out everyday tasks. We recommend speaking to a doctor or a mental health professional if you don’t start feeling better.
The holidays can be stressful, but it is possible to create a positive mindset and space for yourself going through the holidays. We hope you found our tips helpful. Enjoy the holidays from us at West Bay Pharmacy.
3 Ways to Make Sure You Exercise During the Holidays
The holiday season can be a really tough time to stay on top of your exercise routine. It’s cold out, and there are fun places to go and friends to see. Plus, managing your already-busy schedule can get tricky as you try to fit in holiday shopping, parties and family visits.
But considering the amount of rich and sugary food that are so common around this time of year — cookies, candies, eggnog, you name it — it’s especially important to keep moving. Here are some things I recommend this time of year to keep you going, even when all you want to do is curl up with more hot chocolate:
- Look for every opportunity to squeeze exercise in
You may feel like you don’t have time to manage your normal workout routine in between travel, shopping, family visits and friends’ parties. But you don’t necessarily need to carve out a full 30 minutes every day. Instead, take any spare moment as a chance to squeeze in a few crunches or planks. Take an extra lap around the mall on your next shopping trip, or walk home from a party with your friends instead of taking a cab. Even if you can only get a 10 minute brisk walk in twice a day, that’s better than nothing! - Fire yourself up
This is something that I do to get me excited and motivated for the day ahead. It’s really simple — I make a checklist in the morning of the 10 things I want to accomplish that day. It’s amazing how gratifying it is to check tasks off that list as you get things done. Make your workout part of that list and don’t let yourself end the day without marking off that box. - Follow through
Recruit others to help you stay accountable. Talk with a friend or your partner about your holiday fitness goals, and have them help you stay on track. Maybe you’ll get a workout buddy in the process, or just someone to text you reminders and motivation. Knowing that there’s someone else out there keeping tabs on your progress may spur you to keep up!
10 Holiday Survival Tips If You Have Diabetes
Some of my patients with diabetes ask me what’s the big deal if their blood sugar levels go up a little or they gain a few pounds over the holidays. They say they can always lose the weight afterward and get their sugar levels under control.
To an extent, that could be true. If you’re in good overall health, doing well with your diabetes control and manufacturing reasonable amounts of insulin, a day or two of indulging a bit more than usual in holiday food shouldn’t be a problem.
How long that overindulgence goes on, and how many times, though, are important factors. The holidays can easily extend well past New Year’s. If you slip into bad eating habits, you can do long-term damage, raise your blood sugars and gain weight.
You can keep your weight and blood sugar levels under control during the holidays using these tips.
- Maintain your schedule
If you overeat, trying to catch up by skipping a meal afterward may cause you to overeat when you have your next meal or if a snack is available. Even on your holiday and days away from work, try to get up, eat, exercise and take your diabetes and any other medications about the same time as you usually do. - Check your blood sugar frequently
If you are taking insulin or medications that lower your blood sugar, check your blood sugar more frequently during the holidays, especially before driving a car or adjusting your insulin doses. Make allowances for the changes in your work and exercise schedules as well as your eating opportunities. - Budget your sweets and treats
To keep your blood sugars from skyrocketing, include sweets and treats as part of your carbohydrate budget — not in addition to it. Choose the meat and side vegetables and salad at dinner. Your carbohydrate for dinner could be Aunt Emily’s nut roll that she only makes during the holidays. - Watch your alcohol intake
Moderate alcohol intake can have a blood sugar-lowering effect, so don’t drink on an empty stomach. The amounts of calories and sugars vary significantly among drinks so it can be useful to search nutrition information about your favorite drinks. Recommendations for alcohol for those with diabetes are no more than one drink per day for women and no more than two per day for men. (One drink equals 4 ounces of wine, 12 ounces of beer, 1 ounce of distilled spirits. - Download mobile tools
You can download mobile apps to your phone, including apps that help you count carbohydrates of certain dishes, and let you know how much insulin you need to take (if you use it before meals). - Order smart in restaurants
You’d be pleasantly surprised how many restaurants offer healthy options not mentioned on the menu. Ask for options with less saturated fat, fried food and sugars. Substitute olive oil with fresh pepper for butter. You can also substitute sides. Ask for a baked or boiled potato (skin on) or fresh, steamed or stir-fried veggies instead of mashed potatoes. - Cook light, healthy dishes to take with you to parties.
If you’re going to a holiday dinner, ask if you can bring a dish — one lower in calories and fat — such as a vegetable tray or vegetable-based appetizer. There are many delicious, diabetes-friendly recipes, like low-sugar pumpkin mousse parfait, that you can bring to holiday parties. You can find low-sugar recipes from the American Diabetes Association. - Be ‘party smart’
At the party, enjoy some of the vegetable-based appetizers first, then the meat or cheese appetizers. Place your appetizers on your napkin instead of a plate and you’ll be less likely to overfill it. Another tip: don’t stand near the buffet table or food when talking at a party. It’s also important to stay hydrated. Drink water or club soda with a lime or lemon twist. Keep a calorie-free drink in your hand to keep your hands busy. - Stay active
If you can’t stick to your usual exercise program during this busy time, do some fun activity with family or friends. If 40 minutes a day at one time isn’t possible, break your exercise up into 10- to 15-minute segments, two or three times a day. - Remember the reason for the season
Put the focus on family and friends and not on food. Enjoy what you do eat. Savor each bite! Most important, remember to include time for exercise, meals and relaxation. The holidays will only be great if you’re in good health to enjoy them.
How to keep your heart healthy (and your waistline trim) at holiday meals
Follow these simple tips to keep your heart healthy during the holiday season.
Bring out the fruits and vegetables
Focus on pumpkin, carrots, sweet potatoes or other orange vitamin-packed vegetables. Greens such as broccoli, spinach and collard greens all pack vitamin power too. Serve colorful raw veggies with low-fat dip as an appetizer.
Make smart substitutions
Use fat-free, low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth to moisten dressing. Use olive oil in place of butter or margarine. Mash potatoes with nonfat sour cream and low-fat milk. Use fat-free non-dairy creamers or evaporated skim milk instead of cream when you bake.
Don’t starve yourself until your holiday dinner
Have a healthy breakfast so you don’t load up at the big meal. When you sit down to eat, try just a little bit of everything and go easy on second helpings and dessert.
The benefits of exercise
Take a walk after dinner, or exercise sometime during the day to offset meal calories. Several studies have shown that moderate exercise after a fatty meal helps prevent fat from affecting your arteries. Take a 45-minute walk two hours after a high-fat meal, or three 10-minute walks over a three-hour period. But always check with your doctor before you increase your activity level, especially if you have medical problems or have been inactive. So, enjoy your meal, but prepare it with less fat and walk it off afterwards. Your arteries and your waistline will thank you.
12 Ways to Stay Healthy this Holiday Season
The holidays are a great opportunity to enjoy time with family and friends, celebrate life, to be grateful, and reflect on what’s important. They are also a time to appreciate the gift of health. Here are some holiday tips to support your efforts for health and safety this season. read more →
