The best way to survive the stresses associated with then upcoming holiday season may be to get plenty of rest, water, and exercise, advises a heath coach.
“The holiday season is extremely stressful and many of us seem to run out of time each day to get things done due to tight schedules,” said Kathy Langdon, a physical education and health coach for Indianapolis Public Schools (IPS).
“When we are stressed out over cleaning the house, buying gifts, and going to the relatives’ homes for events, we forget about taking care of ourselves,” she said. “I advise people to look at their lives and plan out their activities and try to work in daily exercise.”
In the coming weeks, Langdon suggests:
- Make sure you get plenty of sleep. The general recommendation is to get 7 or more hours of sleep per night on a regular basis because doing so supports optimal health among adults aged 18 to 60.
- Stay hydrated. The National Academy of Medicine suggests a daily fluid intake of about 13 cups and 9 cups for healthy men and women, respectively, with 1 cup equaling 8 ounces.
- Get moving. Adults need 150 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity and 2 days of muscle strengthening activity each week, according to the Current Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans.
- Use the rainbow colors as a guide to fill your plate with the colorful vegetables and fruit. By focusing on eating a variety of colors will increase your intake of different nutrients to benefit various areas of your health.
- Maintain a positive attitude with a gratitude journal; start each day on a positive note; focus on the present instead of dwelling on the past; spend time with positive people; and most importantly, laugh.
“Just know you are amazing, and we all need to take time for ourselves,” Langdon said. “Sure, it’s a stressful time of year, but we need to find that joy on a daily basis.”