Avoid these pitfalls during the holidays

With Thanksgiving just behindus and the holiday season ahead we have every reason to plan our approach for the most festive time of year! We do not have to have a dark and dreary winter if we avoid some of the common mistakes of the holiday season.

The holiday season corresponds with the winter solstice and someof the darkest days of the year.

Many of us are disconcerted by the early sunset and the long, dark nights this season entails. The incidence of SAD, or Seasonal Affective Disorder spikes during thesewintermonths whichmakes negotiating the season thatmuchmore challenging

Symptoms that we may be heading down thewrong path emotionally involve social withdrawal, lowered movement, and loss of interest in normal activities. These symptoms can intensify into feelings of sadness, isolation, excessive sleeping or eating, crying spells and even dark thoughts of self-harm. If these depressive symptoms are present it is important to get help froma mental health professional as soon as possible.

To help plan your approach to the holiday season, it is important to create strategies to avoid these common pitfalls:

The first common mistake is holding a negative attitude to this time of year and to life in general. It has been a tough year, but not necessarily a terrible year. Many people were still married, had babies, went on vacation, and experienced life positively, despite all the challenges! Holding a positive attitude and looking for the good in situations is one of the key attributes of resilience, and resilience is one of the key ingredients to health and happiness!

Despite the limitations the pandemic creates, resourceful and positive people realize that they will adapt and make their way through. They are also able to look at the positives that might be present, evenin these unusual circumstances.

One example is that many families have an opportunity to spend more time together and to become emotionally closer. Other people found they had more time at home to work on ideas and projects that they had long been putting off.

Another common pitfall at this time of year is becoming too sedate and reducing movement, exercise, and outdoor time. Even though it is darker and colder this is the most important time of year to be physically active and to get outdoors. Study after study confirms that physical activity and exposure to the outdoors is an important part of remaining healthy and feeling well. People who exercise regularly are healthier, happier, and live longer, more productive lives.

Tied in with this is our need for sun exposure to boost our well-being. While too much ultraviolet light is not healthy for us, our body was created to absorb sunshine and to produce vitamin D. Interestingly, many people in theU.S. have chronically low vitamin D levels and studies show that higher vitamin D levels enhance ourimmuneresponse and is even a good predictor for resisting the flu, coronaviruses in general, and Covid-19.

Another mistake we often make during the holidays is putting the wrong things in our body. Our animal brainmay lead us to seek out more calories and more carbohydrates at this time of the year, but it is no longer necessary. We do not hibernate like other animals and creating winter weight gain is no longer an advantage for us. While it is fun to enjoy holiday treats, it is also important to watch our calorie consumption and to remainactive inorder to keep our health.

This is true for other things that we often take in during the festive season including alcohol. “Feel good” chemicals are rarely good for us and often lead us to feel fatigued, worn out, dehydrated and anything but happy. Instead, consider trying to emphasize healthier beverages like sparkling kombucha, ginger tea, citrus juices, and of course, drinking plenty of water.

Another area of concern during the holidays and all winter is to remain socially active and productive. Instead of withdrawing and becoming less socially active, this is a time of year to seek out those people you can be safe with for bonding. We are a social and gregarious species and there is a high price to pay whenwe deprive ourselves of the comfort of other humans.

Many of the practices for having a healthy holiday season are also practices recommended for coping with the pandemic. While following basic protocols for health and safety, the holiday season, like life itself, can be a happy and even celebratory time. Harness the power of positive thinking andembrace aphysically and socially active and productive lifestyle for a great holiday season – and a good life!