Banishing that holiday stress
<p>The hectic holidays can take a toll on a person’s health, but there are also simple strategies to minimize seasonal stress.</p>
COEUR d'ALENE — It's the time of year for focusing on fun parties, spending quality time with the family, and giving gifts.
But the festivities can lead some to get caught up in the chaos and consumerism of the holiday season, leaving them stressed-out, tired and even sick.
Dr. A.K. Misra, an internal and sports-medicine physician and medical director at U.S. Health Works, offered a few suggestions for staying healthy and stress-free during the holidays. First, get your sleep, Misra said, because no amount of holiday chores or events are worth losing sleep over. Misra warned the lack of rest eventually affects your body.
"Be it headaches, be it being just slower, having a shorter temper," Misra said, "People should be able to cue in on the signs that we know about ourselves."
Misra added people also are indoors and in close quarters, so germs spread quickly. He recommended washing hands frequently and trying not to spend too much time in crowded places.
It's the time of year when we eat more than we should, he said, and that can add to the problems. To keep energy up, he recommended eating balanced meals and healthy snacks, rather than relying on caffeine, fast food and holiday sugar fixes.
"Yes, what people do is, they'll 'stress-eat' — they'll eat poorly in response to stress," Misra said. "If you're putting bad fuel in, you're going to make this a lot worse."
Even though the weather is cold, exercise is key. Misra said taking a brisk walk outdoors or squeezing in a visit to the gym will help work off some of the stress associated with holidays.