​Stay healthy and happy during the holiday season. You may do the same things each year during the holidays as you might stick to your family traditions. Here are a few tips we offer to stay on track for the holiday season and offer you a way to keep your traditions but add a new spin from the usual hustle & bustle!

Eat without overindulging – It is essential to keep your eating habits regular. There will be lots of holiday parties, goodies delivered to your home and office and family gatherings. It will be easy to overeat, not focus on intake and just indulge. Instead of having regrets after the holidays are overdone a little planning around your meals and attending social gatherings where food may be the center point. Ensure you are balancing your eating and focus on your regular eating pattern, for example, if you eat three meals a day, then stay on track with three meals by incorporating this into your schedule of holiday activities and parties. 

Stay hydrated - If you are consuming more beer and alcohol, it will be essential to keep hydrated and drink plenty of water during this time of eating and drinking; especially when you are eating and drinking more than you might on an average day.

Get plenty of sleep – Ensure to keep your routine sleeping habits and that you are getting your average 6-8 hours of sleep. Take time to relax and have some downtime or a quick nap during the times when you might experience an extended schedule, or your daily activities might extend longer than usual.

Be kind to another or a random act of kindness - This action will make you as happy as you've made another feel. The return on your investment, whether it is time, money or sharing a moment of reflection, will be priceless. You are instinctively a caring individual, yet factors are holding you back; perceived outcome, how the person will receive your kindness and comfort level with delivering the action. The deed can be monetary; however, there are no cost choices to render the same outcome. Performing a small endeavor for the good of another on a consistent basis is valuable to your emotional wellbeing. Suggested acts of goodwill might be; saying thank you to a friend, send a handwritten card or a random email/text, make someone dinner, take someone lunch or buy the person behind you in line a coffee. Even offer to run an errand for a coworker, bring flowers to someone at work, volunteer for a friend’s cause or make a donation to a local charity.
 
Factor in ‘you’ time each day – Find time for you that you may typically skip because you have time restrictions or a schedule to keep. Work in the time daily to enjoy things you like or things that will relax you and keep your day in balance. Including daily exercise regiment, cooking your favorite meal, writing in your journal a few times throughout the day, volunteer or take in your favorite hobby. Another great action might be quiet time; a time to reflect on your day or a life event that might be bringing you stress. Also, another opportunity to journal or write out your daily task or weekly to-do list. This time is a great way, every day to take care of you in a small way.
 
Schedule daily activities – During the holidays you are rushing around, and you might forget to focus on activities to keep you going and avoid draining your energy. This is the time of year to keep moving. Invite others to join you in any of the following activities. There is no expected time-limited, even 10-minutes can make all the difference. Spending time outside each day is essential to your physical and emotional wellness, lifting your spirit and boosting your energy. Devoting time outside is a great way to receive the most valuable source of vitamin D, which is the sun. Taking a walk around the block or taking the dog out for a morning stroll will energize you and get your day off to a great start. Also, get out of the house or your office throughout the day for a mid-day refresher. Perhaps ask a coworker to join you, this may very well make their day too. On the reverse side, an excellent way to wind down from the day and get a restful night’s sleep is to take a walk outside and get a breath of fresh air before bedtime.
 
The holidays might be a good time to start something new, however, doing good for others and doing good for yourself is the best payment you can make to your daily wellbeing balance. You will thank yourself and others will too. 

From the Meliora Team, we wish you a prosperous holiday season. Wishing you a blessed New Year, and all things healthy and happy in 2018.