Making time for our health during the holidays

By Dr. Graham A. Colditz

Siteman Cancer Center

We’re entering one of those special times of the year — the winter holidays.

It’s a concentrated few weeks that give many of us the chance to spend extra time with friends, family and colleagues, celebrating the past year while looking toward the possibilities of the next.

And though the season’s colder weather and shorter days may make us feel like hibernating, we often find ourselves surprisingly busy. Kids are out of school. Work may have end-of-year deadlines, and there are preparations for holiday gatherings and family visits.

It’s a season to look forward to — and one that can also make it harder to look after our own health and well-being. But taking time for ourselves is still an important goal, no matter how busy we are. It’s not only good for our long-term health, it can also give us the physical and mental energy to enjoy all the holidays have to offer. Try these four tips to help your holiday health:

Focus on sleep. It’s easy to cut back on healthy sleep when we feel a time crunch, but we really shouldn’t. Sleep is important for both our daily and long-term health, so we should do what we can to get the seven or more hours a night that most adults need. Of course, getting a healthy amount of sleep can be difficult no matter the time of year. So, don’t stress about it, but do what you can to find sleep success. Try to give yourself the time to sleep; don’t overschedule your nights or early mornings, which can easily happen during the holidays. Putting away electronics and avoiding large meals near bedtime can also help, as can keeping to a regular sleep and wake-up time.

Get out for a walk — or other activity. Along with sleep, this is another one that’s easy to skip when our days get busy. But making time to go for a walk or take a gym class has amazing benefits — providing a boost to energy and mood, and even helping with better sleep. It’s not always easy to get started, especially in winter, but those first few minutes of an activity are often the hardest; once past those, the rest usually comes easier. And, if you’re heading outside, be sure to be prepared for the weather, and go with a friend.

Remember to choose healthy foods — mostly. The holidays are a time to celebrate, and that can mean enjoying food without worrying about how healthy it is. It’s good, though, to not totally do away with our healthy eating habits this season. Still try to take an overall healthy approach to eating that focuses on fruits, vegetables and whole grains, and is low in red and processed meat. At special meals and other gatherings, choose what you enjoy but try to balance less-healthy, higher-calorie foods with healthier choices.

Relieve stress in healthy ways. As great as the holidays can be, they can also, as we know, be stressful. And that makes it important to have healthy ways to deal with moments of stress. Walking and similar activities are really good for this. So, too, are stretching, yoga and breathing exercises. Taking some time alone can be helpful, finding a quiet place to read or stream that movie you’ve been wanting to see. Spending time with friends can also provide support. While alcohol may be part of many holiday celebrations, choose healthier options for dealing with the stress of the season. And if you or anyone you know is in a mental health crisis, call 988 — the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline.

These can feel like simple things, and in many ways they are. But during such a busy season, it can be good to focus on some of the basics. And the benefits of keeping up with even small, healthy steps are real — in our daily lives and the years ahead.

That’s a great gift. Happy Holidays and Happy New Year.

Dr. Graham A. Colditz, associate director of prevention and control at Siteman Cancer Center at Barnes-Jewish Hospital and Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, is an internationally recognized leader in cancer prevention and the creator of the free prevention tool, Your Disease Risk.