Thanksgiving is behind us. We survived the stampede on “Black Friday” and “Cyber Monday”. A few of us even already have holiday decorations up. We’re not quite at the holiday “half way” mark. To help you make it across the finish line (into 2019!) happy, healthy, and well rested, we’ve collected these five simple health “hacks” that will help you make it through the holidays.
1. Indulge… in moderation. Go ahead and eat the foods you love. Enjoy every minute of it! Just slow down, be mindful and take time to appreciate it. And, those less nutritious foods that you don’t love as much? Skip them.
2. Don’t go in hungry. It sounds counter-intuitive, but if you walk into a party starving, you are more likely to eat without thinking (or enjoying). Instead, have a nutritious snack before heading to the party. That way you can enjoy the foods you really love and spend the rest of your time mingling with the other guests.
3. Remember to sleep. With visitors coming in from out of town, parties that go late into the night, shopping trips, and more filling up your time, it’s easy to start staying up late and getting up early. By making sure you get 7 to 9 hours of sleep every night, you’ll be in a better mood, be more present, and ready to fight off whatever germs might have been swirling around in the airplane.
4. Set aside time for exercise. Exercise is usually one of the first things to get dropped from a busy schedule. Regular physical activity is key to keeping up your energy level, reduce stress, and help you sleep. So mark three or so times a week off in advance for a brisk walk or a trip to the gym. For bonus points, find a work-out buddy to keep it social and make sure you are committed to the schedule.
5. Plan on talking with loved ones about any updates to your insurance, finances, and other key details they should know about. Purchased a final expense policy this year? Have a new will? Hold a Long Term Care Insurance policy? Write down the key information (or at least our phone number) and give it to a few loved ones for safe keeping.