The holiday season is a great opportunity to spend time with friends and family. It can also be a time when overindulging at parties and family gatherings leaves you feeling far from your best as you head into the New Year.

If you would like this year’s festivities to leave you feeling refreshed rather than exhausted; here are some tips to help you take better care of your wellbeing during the holiday season.

Set your own limits with alcohol

Seasonal festivities and alcohol seem to have gone hand in hand for a very long time. It’s no wonder that as creatures of habit we often find ourselves reaching for a glass to celebrate the season; the coming together of friends and family; or the start of the year ahead.

If you want to focus on your wellbeing this holiday season, try setting your own limits with alcohol now. Alcohol can negatively impact your sleep; dehydrate you; bring down your mood; and upset your gut. You could try tipping the wellbeing balance in your favour by taking control of how much you consume.

Tip: Why not try to mitigate the side effects of alcohol by alternating every drink with a glass of water to keep you hydrated.

Manage your stress levels

Planning parties, bringing families together, Christmas shopping and all the preparation for Christmas day. Does it make you feel tense just thinking about it? Stress levels are a quick way to undermine your wellbeing this holiday. That’s why you should start as you mean to go on and create a plan now to keep yourself relaxed during the busiest times.

Stress can cause a wide range of medical problems. Planning now can help you prepare for the stressful times ahead and reduce their impact on your health.

Avoiding stressful situations is not always possible so why not try countering the stressful side of the holiday season by injecting some self care into your holidays. Plan some calming activities you can relax and enjoy like booking a massage, planning some quiet time with a good book or adding some gentle yoga or meditation into your day to create a calm space.

Practising meditation can help you to control your stress levels over the holidays.

Look after your wellbeing by taking care of your gut

If you’re lucky, the holiday season is filled with delicious treats just waiting to be enjoyed. Unfortunately not everyone is good at saying no and too much heavy food and alcohol can take its toll on your gut. The gut is also impacted by stress and worry which can all add up and make Christmas a hard time to handle.

How do you know when your gut is struggling? You might experience symptoms such as gas and bloating or perhaps you start to experience abdominal discomfort. If you feel tense and you’re experiencing increased bowel movements it could be a sign that you’ve been taking your gut health for granted.

The good news is that a few proactive steps could help to keep your gut in balance during the holiday season. Start to practice ‘gut love’ by preparing your body with plenty of sleep and keeping your body hydrated with lots of water.

Worried about eating too much? You can always do your best to mitigate the side effects by including some fermented food in your diet and taking time to squeeze in some exercise whenever possible.

Take time to take care of yourself this holiday season

The holiday season is a lot of fun but overindulgence, stress and alcohol can all have a negative impact on your wellbeing and could lead to an unhealthy start to 2022.

Planning your holiday season is a good place to start when you’re focused on your own wellbeing and self care. Whatever you have booked into your diary over the next few weeks, now’s a great time to create your own rules and make sure you have fun while protecting your wellbeing.

TAPS Approval No: PP8398