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“Peace” and “good will” are among the watchwords for the holiday season, but so, too, are “stress” and “germs,” though they are featured in no Bible verses or carols that I’m aware of.
Avoiding ailments is never a primary focus over the holidays, but a little extra attention to hand washing and Dracula-arm sneezes would do everyone a favor.
In need of more tips on holiday health? Here is some advice from the experts, eight Richmond doctors from a range of specialties, on ways to de-stress and stay well so you can make it through the gauntlet of holiday gatherings and start the new year healthy and stress-free.
- The holidays should be joyful, but they can also feel overwhelming. Between shopping and decorating and traveling and parties and end-of-year work deadlines, sometimes you just need to listen to your body and take some of that made-up pressure off yourself. Know when to say no. Maybe the elf doesn’t need to try the newest thing on Pinterest, and probably no one will notice if there’s one less type of cookie or the decorations aren’t perfect. They will notice if you are stressed out and distracted. It’s OK to slow down and be kind to yourself. Feel free to kick back at home with a Hallmark movie if that’s what you need — or just want — to do. —Amy Frey Miller, Richmond Family Practice
- With the holidays come changes in eating patterns and the type and volume of food ingested. Alcohol consumption also may increase. Hydration with non-caffeinated and non-alcoholic liquids will help bowel and kidney function. One's urine should be a light yellow when a person is healthy and hydrated. —Eugene Kramolowsky, clinical director of research, Virginia Urology
- My tip is to spend as much time as possible outdoors. Fresh air, even if it is chilly, is refreshing and invigorating, so get out, take the children (or, in my case, grandchildren) out for a walk or a ride on the new bike. If you are lucky, go for a run or play a round of golf with your kids/buddies. Eat, drink and be merry, but add some outdoors for your well-being. —William Beach, Tuckahoe Orthopedic Associates
- As a neurologist, I see plenty of patients over the holidays with worsening headaches and migraines related to stress, poor eating habits, and irregular sleep patterns. I always advise that my patients stay mindful of their individual headache triggers, including different foods and beverages we may be exposed to over the holidays (aged cheese, sweets as well as wine). I also tell them to get a full 7-8 hours of sleep, preferably at the same time each night, and try to do as much shopping as possible online to avoid the stress associated with holiday traffic/shopping lines. —Rachel Donaldson, St. Mary’s Neurology Clinic
- Prioritize your tasks, realizing that you won’t get it all done. Make time to attend either a concert, chorus, play or movie, whichever one works for you to get you away from the daily stress and reminds you of the spirit of the season. —Dr. Karin Buettner, Virginia Women’s Center
- Plan first, and allow adequate time for your activities. Holidays are busy — hectic. We all try to fit so many activities into a finite amount of time. That is when we are most likely to do things without planning, like taking one step higher on the ladder or step stool or rushing across icy pavement, or lifting that box that is just a bit too heavy, or even running thru a yellow light, forgetting to buckle up or crossing the street without remembering to look both ways carefully, etc. Holiday injuries — preventable injuries — are probably much more costly, with more serious medical consequences than one more cold. —David Jaffe, associate professor of child neurology, VCU Health
Karen Knapp of Commonwealth Ob/Gyn Specialists offered the following tips:
- Don’t let time off/ travel or other changes in your routine disrupt your exercise commitment. Is there a local gym you can go to for a day or so? What can your family do to exercise together? You can almost always walk. You will sleep better and help stave off the extra pounds.
- Along the same lines, don’t let demands of family leave you with no time or energy for yourself. We all go for immediate gratification when we are depleted, and there are way too many things available this time of year to eat.
- Alcohol is packed full of calories and carbs. Nurse 4 ounces of a good white wine, and you will enjoy and not feel guilty.
- Cut yourself slack on one day to eat what you like.
- Pay attention to “feeling full.” Ask yourself if you are eating because you are hungry, socially or otherwise.
- Maintain your regular sleep schedule, even if you are off work. It will make going back to work easier. Use that extra morning time to take care of yourself.
- Don’t go to a party/event really hungry. Have some protein before you go: You will be less likely to overeat.
- Give yourself permission to be done “getting ready” for the holidays. Pick a day to stop prepping and enjoy what you have accomplished.
And psychologist Robert Petry provided six steps for enjoying the holidays:
- Remove “must” and “should” from one’s vocabulary. Decrease expectations of yourself and others. View your thoughts only as wants, not needs. Do not “should" on yourself.
- Sing.
- There are three stages to thoughts about events: primacy, intermediary and recency. Each will create a flood of adrenalin and set off activity. Reduce what you want to accomplish by one third.
- The holidays are special all by themselves. Decrease the need to work to make them special. Already you have free and leisure time. They are joyful because your thoughts can turn to grace and love if you choose.
- Give family members the benefit of the doubt. They are merely a product of the family’s past.
- You only have a limited amount of energy. Respect your limits and those of others, or you may become an Oscar the grouchy Grinch. New Year’s resolution: Resolve to engage in a healthy activity that you love and for which you have not previously allotted time. For example, I want to dance more, or laugh more or sleep more. Don’t set yourself up for misery or failure.
