The festive season is upon us once more and it’s set to be the most wonderful time of the year. While there is nothing wrong with letting your hair down a little, though, it cannot be an excuse to let your health slide. Staying healthy during the holidays is essential to feeling good and doing your best.
After all, you don’t want a month of partying to undo the hard work you’ve put into staying fit in 2023. And you certainly don’t want the festivities to cause a hangover that impedes your plans for 2024. Here’s how you can protect your health while still enjoying December to the max.
Invest in your sleep patterns to stay healthy
A few parties are to be expected over the festive period. Unfortunately, not getting enough sleep will soon take a toll on your appearance as well as your stress levels and general wellness. Understanding the reasons why you’re struggling to sleep should enable you to adapt. Meanwhile, ensuring that your bedroom is designed to actively promote a better quality of sleep is highly advised.
In an ideal world, you should try to sleep at the same time each night. Even if the party season makes it difficult to do this, you must ensure that you get enough sleep. Most adults need 7-9 hours. Going the extra mile to ensure that you avoid sleep deprivation will allow you to enjoy the festive period to greater levels. Moreover, it means that one-third of your life is under control, which will serve you well heading into 2024.
Manage alcohol consumption
The average person consumes more alcohol in December than any other month of the year, which is understandable. While it is the season to be merry, you cannot put yourself or others at risk. It is very important to take responsibility if you are currently taking prescription medication for a health issue. Otherwise, even a small level of alcohol could cause significant repercussions.
If you are concerned about your booze consumption, a general alcohol evaluation can provide clarity. Without accountability, you could soon be forced to take one following a DUI or find yourself in dangerous situations. If you feel that you need to stay sober during the festive period, you should not feel any guilt about this. Alternatively, when drinking during December it’s best to schedule some days where you stick to mocktails.
Maintain good nutrition
Whether attending family events, work parties, or restaurants doesn’t matter. The fact is that you are almost certainly going to eat a lot of rich foods over the next few weeks. This is fine, and you should not worry about gaining a few extra pounds as long as you don’t let things spiral out of control. Nonetheless, it is important to remember that your body needs the right nutrients and energy.
If you know that you will be eating a lot of sweet treats throughout the day, it’s vital that you start the day with a healthy breakfast. Meanwhile, dietary supplements can play a particularly valuable role at this time. Aside from getting the minerals that you may not be getting through food, it can make up for the lack of Vitamin D from sunlight. Using probiotics to boost your gut health and immune system is highly useful too.
Wear appropriate clothing to stay healthy
Looking good makes us feel good. Frankly, we all want to look stylish when attending festive events, not least because it boosts self-confidence levels. However, temperatures are a lot lower at this time of the year, so it is vital that you keep wrapped up. Embracing the latest winter fashion trends should enable you to combine comfort with style. Accessories like gloves and hats are particularly important.
Crucially, you should always wear the right footwear. Slipping on the ice wouldn’t just cause pain and embarrassment. It’d put an end to your festive fun as recovering from sprained ankles takes weeks. Meanwhile, many people fall into the trap of squeezing themselves into outfits that don’t fit. This can harm your posture and put pressure on your organs. So, before buying any clothes for the festive season, get properly measured.
Stay active
The prospect of going for a run when it’s dark, cold, and raining isn’t likely to appeal. However, the human body craves physical activity. So, you must try to find ways to fit some moderate exercise into your daily routines. This could start with home workouts found online via videos, tutorials, or social media PTs. Even 20 minutes per day will make a huge difference to your winter.
There are also plenty of activities that will encourage light exercise. Hitting the local ice rink for a festive skate is a great option. Visiting community events during the festive period will increase your daily step count. When you select activities like this rather than always choosing the bar, it will help you maintain good health during the winter months. A little balance goes a long way.
Keep the home clean to promote staying healthy
Despite the festive events, you will probably spend more time at home than in the summer. Therefore, it’s imperative that those surroundings create a positive environment. Above all else, they should be clean. This is the perfect time to change your HVAC filters. Likewise, a deep clean of the home before putting up the festive decorations is a very wise move indeed. Otherwise, you’ll be breathing in dust.
While it’s great that you want to make the home look cozy, you won’t want to overwhelm the space. Ensure that there is enough space for living, especially as it’s likely that you will soon have new products enter the home via gifts. When you get it right, it’ll build the perfect platform for a fantastic winter period. Better still, you will find it far easier to make the most of any simple home upgrades set to follow in the new year.
Spend time with the right people
Finally, you should remember that the best part of the festive period is spending time with the people you love. However, it will be very difficult if you spread yourself too thin. This is your chance to take a step back from toxic friendships. In turn, your happiness levels and mental wellness will be far higher throughout December and beyond. It is the least that you deserve and promotes staying healthy.
