Start Some Healthy Holiday Traditions

The month of December can be stressful. The holiday season often brings extra social and financial obligations. It can cause a breakdown of healthy eating and exercise habits.

This holiday season can also leave you feeling lonely or depressed, particularly if you’re far from family or who have lost a loved one.

But you and your family can adopt some new traditions that may help ease the season's stress and make your holidays healthy and happy.

Key Takeaways: Holiday Traditions

• Protect your physical health during the holidays. Holiday stress can take a toll on your well-being, so prioritize self-care by maintaining healthy eating habits, staying active, getting enough rest and giving yourself permission to simplify your plans when needed.
• Reduce stress by setting realistic expectations. You don't have to do everything. Sharing responsibilities, scaling back traditions that no longer bring joy and saying "no" to unnecessary commitments can help create a more enjoyable and manageable holiday season.
• Focus on connection and emotional wellness. The holidays can be difficult for those experiencing loneliness, grief or distance from loved ones. Reaching out to friends, spending time with others or volunteering can provide meaningful connection and support.
• Create family traditions that emphasize togetherness over gifts. Children benefit most from quality time, strong family bonds and learning the value of giving. Involving kids in holiday preparations and encouraging acts of kindness can create lasting memories that go beyond material presents.

Caring For Your Physical Health

When the holidays become more than you bargained for, your health can be compromised. And stress can put extra demands on your body. Here are some tips on keeping up your health during the holiday season:

Don't do too much

Give yourself some time to relax. Schedule the time if needed.

Share the workload

Let everyone play an active role in holiday preparations. Make the holidays a family affair so you're not burdened (physically or mentally) with all the work.

Prioritize

Set priorities. You can't do everything. Say no to some of the demands on your time.

Simplify your life

Be less elaborate this year. Relax your housekeeping and holiday preparations.

Continue to exercise

Don't let your regular routine lapse.

Eat healthy foods

Limit your consumption of high-fat holiday treats. Serve healthy fare at your family's holiday party.

Helping Your Emotional Health

During the holiday season, it's easy to become overwrought, especially if you believe something is missing in your holiday celebration. Here are some ways to create new holiday traditions that will help level your emotions:

Scale back

Ask yourself if you really enjoy all the rituals. Perhaps they have merely become habits. Try choosing less elaborate traditions of holidays past.

Don't be afraid to scale down gift giving. You'll probably get a lot of support.

Redefine 'Holiday season'

If your yearly party is too much to handle, put it off until after the holidays. This will give you more time to prepare. It will also help ease post-holiday letdown by giving you something fun to look forward to.

Connect with others

If you can’t be with your family, get out around people. Plan to be with friends or volunteer to help others who also may be separated from their families.

Give back

This time of year is called "The Season of Giving" for a reason. You will be surprised by how filled your heart will be by helping others who are in need. Seek out those opportunities to volunteer your time. Don't let the holiday blues stop you from enjoying the kindness of others.

Happy and Healthy Kids

Children are especially vulnerable to commercial stimuli during the holiday season. But basically, all kids really need are realistic expectations about gifts, an even-paced holiday season and strong, loving family traditions. Here are some ways to make the holidays special for your children:

Spend more time with your kids

Entertain less and go to fewer parties that exclude children.

Watch less TV and do more things as a family.

Include your kids in preparations

Let your children help you decorate and bake, even if it means your creations aren't perfect.

Teach children the meaning of giving

Adopt a needy family and have your kids help you make a meal for them. Suggest that your children buy a gift for an underprivileged child with their own money. Or ask them to donate one of their own gifts to a less fortunate child.

Teach your children that gifts don't have to be tangible

Trade intangible gifts with each other, such as helping with homework, washing the dishes, and mowing the lawn. Let your children come up with their own ideas of what they can offer.

Connecting With Loved Ones From A Distance

Here are some ways for families to connect over the holidays despite the distance:

Make an ornament

Creating an ornament for your tree is a fun family tradition. For those creativity-challenged among us, you can buy an ornament, go to an ornament-making class at a local craft store, or paint premade ornaments. The hunt for the perfect ornament each year can become a yearly family tradition.

Make cookies or open gifts over video

Consider opening gifts or decorating cookies over video chat. This is a great way to feel connected. If you have kids, this would make their holidays a special one.

Have virtual story time

Ask Grandma or Grandpa to read holiday picture books over video chat.

Send some love

Receiving a care package from a loved one - even beyond the holidays - can be a real morale-booster. Picking out items, sending photos, creating homemade art and packing them can help your family feel closer to your loved one. They will appreciate anything you send as well.