Taking extra care of yourself and sticking to your health goals is important this festive season. Read on to find out how you can maintain healthy holiday habits.

Common Holiday Health Risks

Binge Drinking

Excessive drinking is common during the festive season. However, it’s important to remember that alcohol consumption is linked to various chronic health conditions such as high blood pressure and liver disease. Having too many alcoholic drinks during the holidays can also disrupt your immune system.

Unhealthy Foods

Eating highly processed and sugary foods is a weakness for most people during the holidays. The more you eat, the more you are likely to increase your calorie consumption, leading to an increased risk of potentially severe health concerns such as weight gain, unhealthy cholesterol levels and cardiovascular disease. While avoiding indulging in tasty treats might be difficult, consider grabbing healthy substitutes like fruits, nuts, cheese sticks or vegetables when craving a snack.

Not Enough Sleep

Maintaining a consistent sleep schedule when spending time with relatives or vacationing might be challenging. You are likely to stay up later or take more naps than usual. However, not getting enough sleep is associated with various mental and physical health issues, including high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, and poor brain health.

Stress

When the holidays begin, you might find yourself having endless lists of things to do, or you might be suffering from insomnia because of the overwhelming expectations to ensure plans go accordingly. On top of that, you could be worried about the financial demands of going away or buying gifts for your loved ones. If you are struggling to cope with the holiday pressure, you should speak to your family or a mental health professional before you increase the risk of chronic stress, which can impact your overall wellbeing.

Creating Healthy Holiday Habits

Have a Plan

Before you invite your friends and family over to your house:

• Ensure you have a solid plan for how you’ll manage everything.
• Consider how you balance spending time with your loved ones while setting boundaries and maintaining your health goals.
• Be mindful of how you will approach your healthy habits by setting realistic goals that will not deprive you of enjoyable moments and treats.

Stress Less

The financial stress of the holiday season can leave you feeling overwhelmed. Most importantly, it can have a significant impact on your mental health and affect your eating habits. Being able to assess your triggers and find effective coping strategies such as taking a walk, breathing exercises or talking to someone when you feel your mental health is declining can be helpful.

Get Quality Sleep

Getting quality sleep when you must socialise, get through holiday shopping and tick off your to-do list can be challenging. Your healthy sleep schedule can be significantly affected, leading to poor mental and physical health. You should prioritise your regular sleep routine to ensure sufficient rest to boost your wellbeing.

Eat Well

Food is one of the things that brings family and friends together around this time of year. To avoid unwanted weight gain, consider a balanced diet with fibre-rich foods to help you stay fuller for longer. Another easy tip is to drink water before meals and avoid consuming too many sugary beverages.

Practise Self-Care

Even though the holiday season is a time for social gatherings, you should remember that it’s also a time for rest. You should consider how you spend your time and limit exhaustion. Consider scheduling time to do the things you love that boost your mood and balance your hormones.

The holidays shouldn’t disrupt the hard work you have put in to improve your wellbeing throughout the year. You can find a balance between the tasty treats shared with your family and maintaining your health. Your Affinity Health plan gives you instant access to doctor, nurse, or mental health consultations through the nationwide Telehealth Benefit