For as much joy as the holidays bring, they are also a major source of stress. A 2023 survey by the American Psychological Association found nearly 9 in 10 (89%) people are stressed during the holiday season, whether about money, being apart from loved ones, pressure to make the season special or dealing with family conflict.
Plus, the majority of respondents in a December 2023 American Heart Association survey neglected their physical health at holiday time by not eating well (69%), not exercising regularly (64%) and not getting enough sleep (56%).
“The holidays can be a stressful experience on your body,” says Dr. Kristina Maselli, a neurologist at the Montefiore Sleep Wake Disorders Center in New York.
But you can take these expert-recommended steps to stay mentally — and physically — healthy during the holidays.
[SEE: Mindfulness Exercises to Reduce Stress or Anxiety.]
Mental Health
1. Anticipate family dynamics
Stay mentally healthy for the holidays by not expecting difficult family members to change. Know what to expect, avoid discussing problematic topics and find unifying common ground.
“Focus on bringing the family together and strengthening the relationships you have,” says Dr. Kathryn Smerling, family therapist and author of the upcoming book “Learning to Play Again: Rediscovering Our Early Selves to Become Better Adults.”
Try fun and playful activities, such as:
— Board games
— Charades
— A scavenger hunt
— Cooking together
2. Get comfortable with conflict
If a divisive topic comes up, managing your response is key. Learn to be with people you don’t get along with or who have different viewpoints.
“Recognizing you can expose yourself to difficult situations and be safe builds our competence and confidence in ourselves,” says Dr. Tamar Kahane, a psychologist and founder of The Kahane Center in New York.
3. Avoid old patterns
The holidays are a time to mend relationships. Either you keep repeating the same thing year after year, or you interrupt the cycle to make it better.
“With family tensions, you are not going to repeat, you are going to repair — a popular phrase in family therapy,” Smerling says.
Start the holidays with a blank slate and an intention to have fun.
4. Know it won’t be perfect
Many of us feel pressure to make the holidays special for your children, visiting family or gatherings you’re hosting. But it’s OK if they’re not perfect, especially if that means you’ll be less stressed and more able to enjoy them.
Move away from internalized perfectionism by being kind to yourself, Kahane advises.
“We tend to focus on the mistakes we make and things we haven’t done, rather than give ourselves credit for what we are managing to get done,” she says.
5. Prioritize tasks
You can’t do it all, particularly around the holidays.
“We’re surrounded by a culture that puts pressure on us to do everything, and social media makes it look like so many people somehow can,'” Kahane says.
Kahane advises making a list of things ranked in order of importance to you. Begin with the most important and recognize you might not be able to get to tasks lower down on your list. For example, maybe you love baking homemade cookies but care less about decorating gingerbread houses.
6. Make time for yourself
Focusing on self-care is especially important during the holidays.
“Take breaks — no one needs to be around family 24/7. We all need a reset time,” Smerling says.
You could:
— Get up early to enjoy the quiet
— Sneak away for a 10-minute meditation session
— Go out for a walk alone (take the dog for an excuse!)
[READ: Stress vs. Anxiety: Understanding the Key Differences]
Fitness
7. Use movement to relieve stress
Fitness is an effective way to handle stress
, so the holidays are no time to slack off on working out.
“Exercise increases feel-good brain chemicals called endorphins and improves our sleep quality, which increases energy and decreases stress,” says Jennifer Scherer, a registered dietitian, certified personal trainer and owner of Fredericksburg Fitness Studio in Virginia.
8. Exercise with the family
Working out can be great “me time,” but it can also be turned into holiday family bonding.
Fun family fitness activities you can enjoy include:
— Touch football
— A holiday 5K, like a turkey trot or Santa run
— A group class at a local fitness studio or gym
9. Look for fitness breaks
When it comes to working out without gym equipment during the holidays, Scherer suggests:
— Waiting for the timer for food in the oven or to baste your turkey, start a YouTube workout video
— Standing in line for buying gifts, do calf raises
— Picking up a full laundry basket to do bent-over rows
— Mall walking to shop for gifts to get in more steps
[READ 6 Expert-Approved Tips to Make Exercise a Habit]
Finance
10. Set a realistic budget
Don’t go into holiday debt like many people do around this time of year. In fact, 20% of those polled this year by Morning Consult
expect to outspend using loans, such as “buy now, pay later” payment plans.
Make a list like Santa for gifts and expenses, and stick to it, says Sara Rathner, NerdWallet credit card expert. Picking specific items helps you comparison-shop and look for sales.
“If you just leave it up to chance, it’s far too easy to make impulsive purchases and overspend,” Rathner says.
11. Scale back on spending
Although money is tight for many, holiday spending is expected to be up around 2% to 3% in 2024, according to a 2024 National Retail Federation report.
“Talk with your loved ones if you need to scale back on gift-giving,” Rathner says. “Odds are, other people are feeling the same way.”
She suggests to:
— Plan a Secret Santa so everyone only has to buy one gift.
— Give homemade gifts like baked goods or handcrafted ornaments.
— Host potlucks instead of buying all the food yourself.
12. Forget about keeping up with the Joneses
Worrying who has the most elaborate Christmas lights or whose kid got the most expensive present is a recipe for stress and financial disaster.
Rathner suggests selecting activities you truly enjoy and skip the rest. If you love having the most lit-up house on the block, that’s where your budget can go.
“If another tradition stresses you out, like Elf on the Shelf, don’t bother. Use your money to bring you joy,” Rathner says.
[Read: 24 Gift Ideas for Nursing Home Residents.]
Travel
13. Plan for the worst
Weather, crowds, accidents, road closures, plane issues — something always goes wrong with holiday travel, but you can handle it if you’re prepared, says travel expert Jennifer Weatherhead.
Here are tips for reducing the travel stress:
— Have important information handy, like airline apps, car rental contacts, insurance policies and phone numbers.
— If an airline offers to change your flight due to an expected delay, do it. Waiting will mean fewer options.
— Book the first flight of the day for more options if it’s canceled or delayed.
— Book a refundable flight or nearby hotel in case of unexpected delays.
14. Make travel easier on your body
Crowded and cramped planes and cars are not physically easy. You’re often lugging around bags and luggage that you — or your family — probably overpacked, which takes a toll on your legs, shoulders and back.
To reduce the physical stress, Weatherhead says to:
— Avoid alcohol on flights, and instead drink water with powder packets of hydrating enhancers.
— Plan meals, and bring protein-rich snacks to avoid getting hangry, like nuts or beef jerky.
— Use apps with guided seated stretches.
— Set phone alerts for walking down the aisle on a flight.
— Stretch your legs at a rest stop.
15. Look for travel deals
Many hotel booking apps have special deals or offers, such as a free night if you stay a certain number of days, Weatherhead says.
Also check out:
— Rewards from airline sites or credit card points
— End of year deals and special offers
— Alternate travel days that are less busy than actual holidays or weekends
Sleep
16. Create a healthy on-the-go sleep environment
Shut-eye can be elusive while en route or sleeping in a strange place.
“While traveling, try to maintain a consistent sleep schedule,” Maselli says.
The key to better sleep is blocking out distractions keeping you awake.
You can prepare a travel sleep kit that includes:
— Ear plugs
— Noise-canceling headphones
— An eye mask
— A scarf that works as a blanket
— Calming essential oils, such as lavender oil
— An app with white or brown noise, soothing music or sleep meditations
17. Don’t overindulge before bed
Eating and drinking too much of the wrong thing can negatively affect your sleep, which — in turn — impacts your health.
“Avoiding heavy and spicy meals in addition to alcohol close to bedtime will limit the risk of nighttime heartburn and fragmented sleep,” Maselli says.
Avoid holiday drinks with too much sugar or caffeine that might throw off your sleep, says Dr. Inessa Gendlina, a hospital epidemiologist at Montefiore Medical Center.
Keep caffeine to early afternoon, and enjoy a spiced decaffeinated or mint leaf tea in the evening, she suggests.
18. Allow calming time before bed
Maselli suggests taking some time to wind down from a long or stressful day by:
— Taking a warm bath or shower
— Listening to soothing music
— Drawing in adult coloring books
Immune Health
19. Take steps to avoid getting sick
Stress makes us more susceptible to illness and less focused on steps to avoid illness, Gendlina says.
To reduce your risk of catching a cold or the flu, be sure to:
— Wash your hands regularly with soap and water.
— Get vaccinated for flu, COVID and RSV.
— Mask in crowded places if you have a compromised immune system or will be around someone who does.
— Circulate air by cracking windows or gathering in open spaces.
— Stay home when sick to get better faster and prevent it from spreading.
20. Eat healthy to stay healthy
can be a challenge, but it’s good for your health and waistline to not overindulge on all the sweets and goodies. In fact, choosing nutritious foods can help boost your immunity and prevent illness.
“Diets lacking in nutrients have a significant impact on our immune system and our ability to fight infections,” Gendlina says.
In addition, limit alcohol, which also causes changes to our immune system, and serve dishes with less sodium, carbohydrates and sugar to help guests with health conditions such as diabetes or heart disease enjoy foods without additional risk.
[See: 6 Steps to Better Winter Workouts]
Diet and Nutrition
21. Don’t “save up” calories
It’s not uncommon for people to skip a meal
if they know they’re in for a big holiday meal. Unfortunately, that doesn’t work, says Erin Palinski-Wade, a New Jersey-based registered dietitian and author of “2 Day Diabetes Diet.”
Instead, you end up overeating due to excessive hunger.
“Focus on eating small meals and snacks throughout the day with a balanced amount of protein, good fats and fiber to keep your appetite steady,” she says. “That way, when you get to a holiday meal, you can enjoy yourself without overdoing it.”
22. Rate your food
Rank the available dishes from 1 to 10, with 10 the ones you love most, Palinski-Wade says. Fill your plate with mostly the 9s and 10s to train your brain to eat healthy and avoid overeating food you don’t actually enjoy.
23. Separate your plate
Palinski-Wade recommends visualizing your holiday plate as three separate spaces, then fill:
— 1/3 of the plate with veggies to add fiber without excess calories or fat
— 1/3 with lean protein to satisfy you while keeping blood sugar steady
— 1/3 with indulgent foods, so you eat what you love without too large a portion
24. Hydrate
We often misinterpret thirst for hunger, so hydration
keeps your energy up during the busy holiday season and prevents excess eating, Palinski-Wade says.
Hydrate by:
— Carrying a refillable water bottle to stay hydrated throughout the day
— Avoiding sugary drinks, which can make you feel sluggish
— Limiting alcohol and choosing cocktails without added sugar, like club soda and vodka
— Drinking a glass of water for every alcoholic beverage to avoid dehydration
25. Stop the all-or-nothing food mindset
Viewing foods as “good or bad” or “healthy or unhealthy” causes stress about eating. In fact, this mindset can lead to a form of disordered eating
known as orthorexia, a condition characterized by an unhealthy obsession with healthy eating.
Moderation and an “all foods fit” attitude allows you to eat nutrient-dense and enjoyable foods with less stress.
“I see people who eat overly healthy leading up to the holidays, only to go crazy when the month of December comes,” says Jennifer Hyland, a pediatric registered dietitian at Cleveland Clinic Children’s. Try these healthy holiday eating tips:
— Eat slowly and mindfully to best enjoy food
— Sample more foods by splitting goodies with others
— Make gravy healthier by refrigerating to harden fat, then skimming off the top
— Make stuffing healthier by adding vegetables and chestnuts
26. Swap out unhealthy ingredients
shows most people’s weight only fluctuates 1 to 2 pounds during the holidays, but over the years that can add up.
Stay on track with healthy swaps that Palinski-Wade and Hyland recommend:
— Plain Greek yogurt or mashed avocado to replace butter in baked goods, heavy cream in soups and casseroles, higher fat spreads like mayonnaise and sour cream toppings
— Pureed fruit like prunes instead of added sugar in baked goods
— Applesauce or canned pumpkin instead of oil in baked goods
— Pureed vegetables, such as pureed pumpkin or squash for half the cheese in mac and cheese, pureed cauliflower into mashed potatoes, and shredded zucchini or carrots into baked goods
— In chocolate treats, replace 3 tablespoons of cocoa for every 1 ounce of chocolate
— Switch to healthier versions, like whole-grain breads, egg whites and skim milk
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How to Have a Healthier, Stress-Free Holiday: 26 Things Experts Do originally appeared on usnews.com
