5 Tips for a Healthy Holiday Season

Health has been at the forefront of our minds for the past few years. Between protecting ourselves from COVID exposure to ensuring that our mental health remains intact throughout all the holiday hustle and bustle, we have a full-time job on our hands (on top of our already busy schedules). Staying healthy this season doesn’t need to be hard, though, if you know what to focus on.

If you’re a worry wart, then you know that it can be easy to spiral into a state of concern about everything. Your health, the health of aging parents or young children, making sure everyone has a great time this season, organizing travel—frankly, just writing this list of holiday worries is giving us the jitters. What we hope to accomplish here is to take some of those troubles off your plate. What if you just focused on the big things? Read on to learn our tips for a healthy holiday season (and how to keep everything from driving you crazy). 

Many adults and parents find the time to focus on everything but themselves during the holiday season. Whether that’s because they’ve been told that they should put everyone else first, or because they get a kick out of seeing their kids’ faces light up again and again doesn’t matter. What does matter, though, is that you take plenty of time to keep yourself healthy. After all, if you go down in flames with an illness or mental health issue, your family will miss out on the special touches you bring to the holidays. 

Try to stay active, even as the busiest time of the season rolls around. If you have a workout routine, stick to it as much as you can. If you still need to create a regular exercise schedule for yourself, then get to it before the hustle and bustle sets in. Make sure to include movement and activities that you really enjoy so you’ll feel refreshed afterward. Exercising will also go a long way to keep your immune system healthy all winter long. Add to that a heaping dose of healthy, whole foods (with the occasional holiday treat thrown in) and you have a recipe for feeling great! 

If you want flu season to pass you by without consequence, make sure to schedule your family’s round of vaccines. You can also get your COVID booster if you are eligible. Both vaccines will help you to stay healthier this holiday season—plus you’ll be protecting any at-risk populations you plan to party with. 

One of the next best ways to keep your family from getting colds, flu, or COVID is to start and maintain a solid handwashing routine. After school, have your little ones wash all those germs off their hands before partaking in their afternoon snack. When you have family or friends come by, have them wash up too. This is one of the most tried and true ways to keep germs from invading your home and wrecking your holidays.

We don’t mean only filling it with happy memories (although that does tend to happen this time of year). We mean the structure of your home. Make sure to check up on any exterior or interior issues before the busy holiday season (and the snow and cold that come with it) creeps in. If you haven’t already, schedule your yearly HVAC maintenance to ensure your appliance is working properly. Preventative measures like this, combined with winterizing your home, can help make sure your to-do list doesn’t include calling a repair person. It also means you won’t lose heat when you have the in-laws visiting from Florida. 

Many people will be traveling over the holidays. For some, this is an exciting experience. others, it can feel stressful. A few things you can do to cut down on stress or accidents are:

Our tips might seem like common sense, but you’d be surprised how often details like these get lost in the glitter of the season. If you take care of the bigger things, your holiday will feel much more enjoyable. After all, nobody likes last minute illnesses, accidents, or home mishaps to arise when they’re planning a party for family. We hope everyone has an enjoyable holiday season this year and always!