How to Stay Healthy and Keep Your Sanity Through the Holidays
The holidays often bring unwanted stress as we are thrown out of our normal routine for an entire month – or even longer. Shopping, parties, planning, decorating, cooking, cleaning and traveling – it’s a marathon that often ends with feeling overly exhausted and sick from long nights of checking off these tasks since you also work a full time job and take care of your family. Sounds like a fun way to ring in the New Year, right? As the busy sets in, it’s common to let our priorities get a little mixed up. You normally go to the gym a few times a week and visit the chiropractor once a week, but long lines at the grocery store you have been living at for the week have naturally crossed self-care off your list. We know you didn’t mean to let the crazy busy take over December, but it just happens! So, how do you get back on track either during or after all the busy? Here are some tips we follow during the holiday season that can help you feel refreshed during the month and between your long to-do list.
Schedule Your Week
Take a little time on Sunday to prioritize and schedule your week. Sure, there will be extra errands and tasks that come up, but going into your week with an idea of when you will visit the chiropractor and hit the gym will make it easier to keep the important priorities straight. Make your shopping list and plan a trip to the grocery store when it’s less busy (if that exists!) and set a goal of how long you want to be in the store. Try to group all of your errands together and allow yourself to set boundaries around how much you can really handle. Remember, letting busy take over means you are sacrificing something – time with those important, your health and time to rest.
Stay Accountable
A busy season means it can be easy to have intentions of going to the gym or chiropractor that you don’t actually follow through on! Find someone to help keep you accountable, because it’s much easier to follow through on a top priority item when you give your word to someone else. Kids are great at keeping you accountable, especially when you bring them with you – and remember to be thankful for facilities that watch your kids (like the Grand Traverse YMCA) or have a play area to keep your kids entertained.
Set Your Limits
If you feel like you are starting to get sick, then it’s time to decide what can come off your list. Staying home from work is a great idea, but it may not be realistic for everyone – especially if your main job is taking care of your family while your spouse goes to work. Buying cookies instead of making them from scratch or staying home instead of going to another holiday party will not ruin the holidays – promise! Having an idea of what you can take off your list now will help you remain less stressed when you find yourself needing to trim the list.
Dr. Rob sees patients every day who are ultimately in pain because the stress of life (and the holidays). De-stressing and keeping your health priorities straight are key. We look forward to seeing you through the holidays and hope you end your year refreshed and renewed. Cheers to your health!