Can you hear it yet? The distant ring of sleigh bells. The melodic voices of carollers. That tedious “Holidays are coming!” jingle from the Coca Cola commercials. It all points to the fact that Christmas is just around the corner. And while the holiday season offers much to bring us joy; the love of our families, great TV, catching up with old friends and that wonderful feeling of togetherness… There’s also a lot that can be detrimental to our health around this time of year.
If you want to make the most of the upcoming festive season, you’ll want to make sure that you’re as healthy as possible. To this end, keep an eye out for these biggest threats to your health and your mental wellbeing around this time of year…
Seasonal Affective Disorder
Have you started to feel that getting out of bed is harder and harder? Have you stopped feeling enjoyment in the activities you love most? Do you find it harder to concentrate and stay focused at work. It sounds like you might have Seasonal Affective Disorder. This is way more nuanced and potentially serious than the so-called holiday blues. It’s a seasonal funk that can really impede your enjoyment of the holiday season.
There’s never a bad time to talk to someone about your feelings. Christmas can be a tough time for many and there is lots of free support out there. If you don’t feel up for talk therapy, how about investing in a light box? They’re a cheap and effective way to replace the sunlight we miss in the darker months.
Your brand spanking new AC unit
Whether you’re lucky enough to spend Christmas somewhere warm like LA or in one of the colder provinces, your brand spanking new AC unit could create more problems than it solves over the holidays. Not only can they blow germs all around your home, excessive use in cold winters can cause your units coils to freeze. This may not be covered by your warranty and you could find yourself calling for emergency HVAC repair on the big day. Use your AC unit sparingly over the Christmas holidays just to be on the safe side!
Disappointed kids
There’s nothing more heartbreaking than seeing disappointment on our kids’ faces when they unwrap the presents that we thought long and hard about before wrapping for them. If you haven’t already, now’s the best time to get your kids to write their Christmas lists for Santa. It’ll give you time to look for the best deals while also giving you time to let them down gently if their desired gifts are way out of your price range.
Seasonal excess
‘Tis the season to be jolly… But while you should absolutely have fun and enjoy yourself over Christmas, beware the health risks of excessive indulgence. Eating and drinking too much over the holidays may seem like just part of the fun, but the reality is that it can place strain on your liver and other internal organs and lead you to have to work much harder at the gym come new year.
Give yourself the gift of moderation this Christmas!
