Sis, You Are The Gift! 5 Tips For Health and Wellness During the Holidays

The holidays are upon us, and although for many, these times are joy-filled, for many, stressors from work (or a lack thereof), racial and gender-based injustice, financial strain, pandemics, and so many other things that continue to weigh heavily on our hearts, bodies, and minds.

It is important to remember that although the expectation is that women use our gifts to provide, nurture, and support others while also using our funds to actually buy gifts, we are the gift that keeps on giving. The presence of stressors does not take away the fact that we are worthy of health and wellness over the holidays, and any other time. 

It does mean that at times, we might need to intentionally care for ourselves as a means of relieving stress. This means we must be compassionate with ourselves. It means taking things moment by moment, and trying to focus on those things we can control. 

Below are some tips to maintain your health and wellness during the holiday season.

 5 Health & Wellness Gifts to Give Yourself During the Holiday Season For Free

Rest

It's not easy to get enough rest during the holiday season. The stress of traveling and family get-togethers can interrupt our normal sleep patterns and make it difficult to find time to relax and unwind.

However, it is still important to take time to rest, which moves beyond sleep, and according to this article poor rest, which includes sleep, has adverse effects on our health. We acknowledge that a full night’s sleep is not always a possibility, but rest is just as important because it assists in maintaining our physical and mental health. 

We encourage you to try to create a bedtime or resting routine that helps you relax during the day or before you go to sleep every night (even if it's just 15 minutes). In addition, try to avoid caffeine after noon. Caffeine has a half-life of 5-6 hours, so even if you have your first cup after noon, you may still feel its effects come at night when all you want to do is rest! Try having decaf coffee or tea instead.

Remember Sis, during this holiday and new year season, you deserve the gift of rest.

Move

Yup! Even during the holiday season, you have to catch up with exercising. The holiday season is usually when we slack off on our exercise routines and we may never fallback in.

Here’s the thing, less is more during the holidays. So, going for a walk (weather permitting), doing a short home workout, or a quick stretch can make all the difference. Movement can assist women of all abilities. For example, there are many seated exercise routines to boost the heart rate and allow us to move.

Remember Sis, during this holiday and new year season, you deserve the gift of movement.

Hydrate

Our hydration can take a hit during the holidays due to an increase in holiday drinks, food, and cold weather. It’s important to grab an extra cup of water between meals while also increasing electrolytes (minerals that regulate and control the balance of fluids in the body). We can use fruits and vegetables such as fresh cucumber, lemons, and limes inside or outside of our water.

Water is the most essential part of our lives, and the consumption of things that can help us maintain a healthy fluid intake can prevent sluggishness, muscle soreness, brain fog, and more.

Remember Sis, during this holiday and new year season, you deserve the gift of hydration.

Breath

The holiday season is known for various stressors that can be good, bad, and indifferent. There are ways that we can work through this stress and focus on the moments that matter using our breath­­­­­­­­­–something that is within us. Breathing deeply has been shown to reduce things like anxiety, depression, blood pressure, while increasing energy, and relaxation.

This holiday focus on the breath to focus on what matters. Here are some steps that can help:

• Inhale slowly through your nose. Inhale for five seconds.
• When you reach five, hold to feel your body expand.
• Next, exhale through your mouth slowly while imagining that you are releasing those stressors, toxins, and other things that might hinder you. Try to inhale for five seconds.
• Inhale, Hold, and Exhale for five seconds for four more seconds.

Remember Sis, during this holiday and new year season, you deserve the gift of breath.

Mindful Eating

Holiday season food is culinary heaven. Tis’ the season when everyone breaks out impressive rich recipes. However, the rich holiday menus can cause eventual discomfort. We can all avoid this by practicing some mindful eating.  

Sis, balance that apple pie with a cup of fruit or fresh vegetables. In addition, savoring each bite with an internal mindful thought like, “thank you” can ease digestion and reduce anxiety simultaneously.

Remember Sis, during this holiday and new year season, you deserve the gift of great food that you can savor.