By Louise Richardson, Reflexology
The holiday season has looked a little different for many of us these past couple of years. And as we continue to emerge from the recent chaos and confusion, we will still experience the usual stress and temptations to eat lots of unhealthy food. I think it’s important to remember to find the joy during this season and pay extra attention to our mental health, especially while trying to attend the traditions or gatherings we’ve loved in years past.
Here are a few tips to help you stay healthy through the Holiday Season:
Light. Leading up to the winter solstice (December 21, 2022) is the darkest time of the year, remember that natural sunlight (or the lack of) can have a big impact on our mental health. Try to find a way to get outside during the daylight time, or at least get /allow more of it coming through the windows. If you can’t get enough natural light, supplementing with the right kinds of artificial light can help.
Connect. Whether virtual or in-person, we need to connect with people. It might take a bit more creativity, but connecting with others, and laughing, and touch, all improve our mental well-being. Hugs are healthy!
Identify. The first step is to understand what’s causing your stress, mental health, and physical health issues. Then you can work on a plan to minimize it, counteract it, find alternatives, etc.
Exercise. Regular exercise can boost serotonin, endorphins, and other feel-good brain chemicals. It also helps us stay healthy, sleep better, and can even help you achieve a few of the other tips in this email such as exercising outside to get more daylight or with friends to build connection, etc.
Mindset. Sometimes we just need to reframe our mindset. Instead of focusing on the expectations, demands, or disappointments, remind yourself every situation is what we make of it. We can adjust the expectations or demands we have for ourselves. We can find joy in different places. We can get creative and try new or different things that work better given the current circumstances.
Self-care. This time of year, it’s more important than ever, but can seem even harder to implement. What can you do to make sure you’re carving out enough time to fill your own cup?
Healthy eating. It’s okay to indulge in treats, but just try to balance it out with the healthier stuff in between to keep your immune system up. It feels good to eat treats in the moment, but often they leave us feeling not as good long-term, so pack in some extra nutrients in between.
Prioritize sleep. We all function better with a good night’s rest, but it doesn’t mean it’s easy to get. Making it a priority helps us to avoid staying up too late, drinking too much, or eating too late at night. Let’s try incorporating practices to help us de-stress and unwind, such as prayer, journaling, meditation, drinking calming teas, practicing gratitude. And getting reflexology can help to get that time to be used for actually sleeping.
Reflexology can be a great tool to help you cope with everything. It’s always okay to book an extra session (or 5) and to carve out time to put your needs for health and relaxation first.
Here’s to your health! Happy Holidays, and Merry Christmas!
Affectionately, Louise Richardson, Reflexologist.