Wellness Tips for the Holidays

Happy Winter Solstice and Happy Holidays!

Winter Solstice marks the beginning of the winter season (from astronomical perspective) for the northern hemisphere.

According to Traditional Chinese Medicine and Ayurveda practice, winter is the time for rest, restoration, and self-reflection.

The holiday season can often be hectic with travels, social engagements, etc., which is quite in contrary to resting and restoration.

If you have some time off from work for the holidays, don’t forget to take the opportunity to slow down, unwind, rest and re-charge for the new year. Prioritize your well-being during this holiday season.

Wellness Tips for the Holidays

Here are some tips/resources to help you unwind and relax the mind and the body during this holiday season:

Schedule quiet and self-care time

While you may have big plans for the holidays, perhaps spending time with family and friends or travelling, it is important not to overcommit your time and energy. Instead, schedule some quiet and relaxing time, and give yourself some well-deserved self-care or TLC.

Rekindle your body’s natural biological clock

Being away from work during the holidays can be a good time slow down the pace and tune in to your body’s natural biological rhythm. The human body has a 24-hour internal biological clock, called the circadian rhythm, which synchronizes to the natural light-dark cycles. Aligning our sleep-wake schedule and lifestyle habits with the daily dark-light cycle is crucial for our health and well-being.

This means going to bed no later than 10-11pm, minimizing exposure to artificial light (e.g., from indoor lighting, devices/screen) in the evening/night, eating dinner at least 3 hours before bedtime, getting sufficient natural light during daytime especially in the morning and midday, etc.

For more information and tips, please check out my blog: Rest, Relax and Nurture Your Biological Clock This Holiday Season.

Practice mindfulness to calm the mind and reduce stress

Depending on your plan, the holiday season can be hectic. You can practice mindfulness to keep your mind calm, peaceful, and joyful throughout the holiday season.

Mindfulness practice, i.e., the practice of present moment awareness has been shown scientifically to enhance mental and emotional well-being, reduce stress, help with pain management, improve heart health, control blood glucose levels, support brain health and immune health.

For more information and tips, please check out my blog: Week #11 Healthy Habits Challenge – Practice Mindfulness.

Practice gratitude daily

 Although Thanksgiving has passed, the practice of gratitude doesn’t have to stop. Instead, gratitude practice should be a lifelong practice and a part of our everyday life.

Gratitude practice not only is beneficial to our mental and emotional health, but it is also beneficial to physical health including reducing inflammation and improving sleep, etc.

To incorporate gratitude practice in your daily life, you can express gratitude generously and develop a habit of saying ‘thank you’, keep a daily gratitude journal to record things/events/persons you are grateful for, and practice gratitude meditation (here is my YouTube video for a short guided gratitude meditation).

For more information and tips on gratitude practice, please check out my blog: Week #12 Healthy Habits Challenge – Be Thankful.

Stretch to reduce tension in the body and the mind

Stretching exercise not only can reduce muscle tension increasing flexibility and range of motion, but it also has many other health benefits as shown by scientific research, including improving heart health, reducing blood pressure, reducing blood glucose levels, and improving sleep. Stretching exercise can also reduce stress and anxiety levels and improve mental health.

As part of your self-care time during the holidays, why not incorporate some gentle stretching exercise? You can also do a few gentle stretching before getting out of bed in the morning or before going to bed at night.

For more information and tips, please check out my blog: Week #6 Healthy Habits Challenge – Let’s STRETCH, for Your Well-being!

Related Articles/Resources

Rest, Relax and Nurture Your Biological Clock This Holiday Season

Week #11 Healthy Habits Challenge – Practice Mindfulness

Week #12 Healthy Habits Challenge – Be Thankful

Week #6 Healthy Habits Challenge – Let’s STRETCH, for Your Well-being!