Pre-Christmas Health

Happy Labour Weekend! We’ve made it through the winter and it’s time to look forward. The latter part of the year is a good time to tie up loose ends and make improvements, particularly when it comes to your health.

By the time we get to December, it’s rather tricky to avoid over-indulging. However, with an extra day off this weekend, you could take some really positive steps to improve your health now, so that the festive season excesses don’t take too much of a toll.

Ease off on the booze

In December, there’s always an excuse for a glass of something – lunches, parties and catchups often include alcohol. This can add extra kilos, disrupt your sleep and affect your will power – who can resist delicious canapés after a couple of glasses of champers? All this is great fun, but maybe you could be extra kind to your liver now in preparation.

• Make sure you have at least four alcohol free days a week until December.
• Increase your water intake and make that an ongoing habit – long term dehydration takes more than the odd glass of water to fix
• Be the designated driver, so that you can only have one drink at social occasions at the moment to keep yourself moderate

Load up on bright colours

Fruit and vegetables are your friends and they are becoming more varied and interesting as the weather warms up. Swap out bread for wilted spinach under your eggs at breakfast, make extra coleslaw to add to your lunch and snack on fruit rather than biscuits. Live, brightly coloured foods will give you plenty of nutrients and fibre and improve your digestion, skin and immunity.

Get all your checks done

Regular health checks are important. Before the summer comes, ensure all medical test, including mole check are up to date. While they aren’t necessarily great fun on the day, they are your best defence.

Move it

Regular exercise is good for your sleep, your weight, your stress levels and your soul. As things get busier, remember to keep up your physical activity – it is an investment in your health. Even a small amount is better than none.

Address issues

Christmas is supposed to be a time of peace and harmony, but it can also be a time when family feuds occur. Do your best to accommodate the different personalities and dynamics where possible, or take some time to try and address problems constructively.

This can be a challenge. You cannot control how others behave and react, but you can offer an olive branch or initiate a constructive conversation.

Stress

Nothing causes stress like feeling overloaded, and the holiday season can add stress, when it doesn’t need to. Address it now, and enjoy the calm later:

Make some lists

Take some time now to plan for the coming months – make holiday bookings, arrange Christmas plans and set a budget. Seeing what needs to be done in black and white will help prevent sleepless nights and extra worries – you can even begin to delegate!

Finish little tasks

Small jobs which add up can be frustrating. Over the coming weeks, plan to finish one or two of the ones around your home, so that you feel good about them. Even making a start can help. You don’t have to paint a whole room at once – you can start by getting the prep work done – you’ll feel closer to your goal.

Forget perfection

There is no such thing. If the window frames aren’t freshly painted on December 25, who cares? If you are wearing a size larger than you’d hoped, you will not be judged. If the pavlova is a little flat, everyone can still have a piece. Try to keep your expectations realistic and focus on what is really important to you.