Healthy Holiday Traditions

Healthier Traditions for the Holidays

The holiday season is meant to be a time for gratitude, joy and togetherness. What better time than now to incorporate health and wellness into your seasonal festivities? Following are some simple ways that you can give your favorite winter activities a healthful boost this year.

Shift Your Focus Off Holiday Meals

While large feasts and festive treats are often the focal point of holiday traditions, this can promote bad habits such as overeating and even stress eating. Rather than focusing conversations and gatherings on meals alone, try incorporating other festive activities. Some non-food related holiday activities to try include:

• Singing holiday songs
• Playing board games or bingo
• Making ornaments or other decorations
• Building a snowman
• Making gingerbread houses

Remember the Reason for the Season

Between planning dinners, holiday celebrations and holiday gifts, it’s easy to become overwhelmed during this time of year. In fact, the American Psychological Association (APA) states that people in the United States report an increase in their distressing emotions during the holidays due to the pressure to make the holidays the best they can for their loved ones.

Rather than focusing on preparing the perfect meal, buying the best gifts or decorating just right, take some time to regroup and be more present. Remind yourself that the holiday season is meant to be a time focused on gratitude and togetherness, not material things. Some ways you can do this include:

• Taking a walk
• Meditating
• Journaling

Plan Family-Friendly Physical Activities

Because the winter months are much colder, you may be tempted to slip into sedentary behaviors and spend your time cozied up inside. However, it is important to stay active all year round. Try to incorporate physical activity into your quality family time by trying out some of the following activities:

• Nature walks
• Hiking
• Snowshoeing
• Ice skating
• Building a snowman or an igloo

Taking the time to focus on your health and wellness, even during the holiday season, can be an important health improvement that you and your loved ones will enjoy.

Primary and Specialty Care in Ohio

The Southwest General Medical Group, Inc. includes both primary care and specialty care physicians who are committed to providing patients with high-quality medical care. Our team of board-certified specialists and skilled physicians work to raise the bar for excellence in health care service for our community. To learn more about our primary and specialty care services or schedule an appointment, visit our website.