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This month, the spotlight has been on staying sober during the month of October. With October nearly gone by (already!), did you participate in #SoberOctober? How was it for you? Was it challenging, impossible, or maybe even easy? In any case – kudos to you for your participation!
November and December each year are typically full of holiday stress – we’re dealing with family, work, preparing and/or participating in holiday events, like lunches, dinners, parties … you know the drill! For many of us, tempers are running a little hot (usually due to stress), and there’s plenty of worry to go around – getting gifts purchased, procuring holiday foods, cooking, cleaning, etc., etc.
Because we are thinking about it now, we have an opportunity to get ahead of the curve and plan out what we will do and how we will do it. Think mindfulness! That means slow down and listen to yourself, and don’t take on too much. If we carefully plan ahead and try to keep to your plans (altering when necessary), even if it doesn’t happen exactly like you think, you’re still ahead of the stress curve.
Tips for a Healthy Stress-Free Holiday Season
The Mayo Clinic has a great article about tips to help with holiday stress. Some of their tips include planning ahead, saying no to some things, budget spending, creating atmospheres which are relaxing and good for the soul, keeping up healthy habits during the holidays, and more. Doctors recommend that we be responsible about food and alcohol consumption. Hey, did you know you can make just about any recipe, including family favorites, using healthy ingredients and it will taste great?
UC Davis also has tips for reducing stress and otherwise taking care of yourself during the holidays. They recommend that you make it a priority to take care of yourself when you see extended family. So for example, you could take a walk, or call a friend, or even be alone if it helps. Also they recommend being respectful of others’ perspectives, especially if it differs from your own. It’s very important for many people to honor the loss of loved ones during the holidays. So take care of yourself when it comes to the topic of grieving. Clinical studies show that honoring lost loved ones in some way by making them a part of your holiday traditions (even just a mention out loud and a minute for sadness – whatever seems fitting to you) can help make holiday stress more bearable and less stressful. If you or anyone else needs to, please reach out to professionals for help – there’s no shame or blame in doing so.
Foods and Supplements to Fight Depression and Anxiety
First and foremost, please enjoy all the delicious food you are about to consume over the year-end holidays! You can focus on certain foods, which will help you (and your body) boost your mood. Eggs, including the yolks, have B vitamins, which help tamp down negative mood symptoms. Cold water fish like tuna, wild caught salmon, and mackerel have omega-3 fatty acids, which support brain health. Nuts and seeds also have omega-3s, and pumpkin seeds, peanuts, and almonds have magnesium, which may help boost your serotonin levels. Fresh fruits and vegetables also offer brain support because they are loaded with healthy nutrients like vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, etc. (But try to keep sugar at a minimum, because that will take you down!)
As we mentioned before, the B vitamins are helpful in supporting good moods. Also, zinc boosts the immune system; and clinical studies have shown that zinc levels may be lower in people suffering from depression. You can find zinc in beans, beef, chicken, nuts, pumpkin seeds, oysters, and of course you can always take a supplement. Tryptophan is an amino acid which is used by the body to create serotonin; it is present in tuna, turkey, and chickpeas, to name a few. Supplements can also be purchased. Also, building up the friendly bacteria in your gut can be beneficial to your mood! Foods like yogurt and kefir (the ones which contain the probiotics) can be helpful; in fact, there was a large clinical study (meta-analysis) conducted in 2016 which suggested that probiotics can be beneficial in this regard.
So get on top of the holiday season this year, before it gets on top of you! This way, you don’t have to spend January punishing yourself for poor holiday choices. And always remember –
