Navigating Holiday Stress: A Whole-Person Plan for Winter Wellness
While holidays are usually a joyful time, they can also be hard on the body. Ongoing stress from a hectic holiday period can raise cortisol, disrupt sleep and digestion, and impact blood sugar—leaving your immune system less able to fight off seasonal illness.
In the distant past, the winter season was a time of fewer obligations, slowing down, and fortifying the body after a long year. While there were feasts, there was also a deliberate slowing of physical obligations and a greater emphasis on rest and rebuilding the body.
How can we take lessons from the past and incorporate them into our modern holiday madness? How do we counter the tendency to fill up the calendar with more visits and activity that translate into greater stress on the body?
Consider incorporating the following:
1. The Basics - Good sleep, diligent hydration, nutrient-rich foods, and gentle movement are imperative for excellent health. Does it seem that you need extra support beyond these? Evaluate and improve your health with a comprehensive physical and a personalized health plan.
2. Plan for Rest - Go through your schedule and block off time for rest. Put as much emphasis on rest days as gathering days. For example, try to schedule at least one rest day for each gathering. (Or at least a quiet morning or evening!) Meticulously defend these rest times. Unplug from social media and work, and reduce your activities as much as you can.
3. Limit Travel & Hosting - Are you stressing your body for the sake of visiting or hosting over the holidays? Manage your calendar and determine how many times you truly need to travel or host guests. Start saying “No” when needed. It’s also okay to say, “We’re keeping things quiet this year to rest and recharge, but we’d love to get together in the new year.”
If you are the host, preparing food for a large crowd can be very stressful! Delegate, make it a potluck, or ask for help.
4. Monitor & Defend Your Health - The minute you start feeling worn down, slow down. Stay home and rest. Ask us about IV therapy or vitamin injections. They can help replenish fluids and nutrients when you’re run down.
5. Notice the Outcome - Did your changes work? If fatigue, poor sleep, or mood changes linger after the holidays, it may be a sign that something deeper needs attention. A New Year’s health evaluation can help uncover what’s going on.
At TCIM, our providers take the time to learn your history and look at the whole picture, so we can help you stay strong through the season and start the new year with hope.
We look forward to seeing you at your next appointment or Executive Physical, and hope you enjoy the holiday season!
The Temecula Center for Integrative Medicine is an Integrative Medical Clinic specializing in all aspects of Functional Medicine.
Our focus is solely on the treatment and prevention of chronic disease and we specialize in helping patients with serious, life-altering illnesses.
951-383-4333
Dr. Erik Lundquist is the founder and medical director for the Temecula Center for Integrative Medicine. He is a member of the American Holistic Medical Association as well as the Institute of Functional Medicine. He specializes in endocrine disorders especially thyroid and adrenal dysfunction, chronic fatigue, migraine headaches, cardiometabolic disorders, and chronic pain.
