Hi Dr. Kim,

Am I the only one who experiences holiday time as incredibly stressful? Everyone seems to be having a good time but I feel overwhelmed and a bit depressed. Suddenly, there is so much to do and I’ve been feeling “blah.” What can I do to feel better? — Bah Humbug in Johnson City

Dear Humbug,

Take heart and know that you are not alone in your experience of stress during the holidays. There are many stressors that can upset your daily routine and get your body’s cycles out of sync, which leads to the feeling of overwhelm you described. First, the stressors have to do with time itself. There is much to do, places to go, family members to visit (or they may be visiting you, which is a happy stressor but nonetheless a stressor). Financial stress arrives with the holidays because you may have well-meaning gifts to buy, or are spending a little more on food and decor than you normally would. Perhaps your child is home from school, or they have an awkward schedule. All of these changes occur seemingly at the same time. Where did the summer go? On top of that it is flu and cold season, and your regular everyday responsibilities aren’t put on pause…you have to go to work. You have to keep the household running and try to look festive while it’s going on.

Just remember one thing about the fall and winter holidays…there is so much extra to do, but your everyday cares and responsibilities are still there. This is a time when you may not feel like there is any room for self-care. However, self-care is even more important during the holidays than in the rest of the year. Fall and winter are the times when people catch the flu, colds, and other infections. Practicing self-care will help to stabilize your mood, keep your mind clear, and boost your immune system. Making time for practices that calm the nerves and support the body will help you remain balanced during the holidays, and set a good foundation for the coming new year. Here are my tips for you and anyone feeling the same way…

1. Get regular sleep. The sleep-wake circadian cycle is no joke. We may think that counting hours of sleep will lead us to get enough rest, but actually, going to bed and waking up at regular times, even on the weekends, is an important habit. A regular time is defined as going to bed and waking up at around the same hours each day. These regular times can shift with the seasons. In winter, there are fewer hours of sunlight in the day, so it is wise to retire earlier. Many people find winter activities taxing and the chilly mornings to be sleepiness-inducing. It is OK to get 1-2 hours more sleep in the winter and to take power naps if needed.

2. Don’t diet, but don’t over-eat. The holiday season is a terrible time to go on a restrictive diet. Your body needs calories to deal with the cold, and your brain needs nutrition to keep working sharply during the sleepiest time of year. Our ancestors had a tradition of special cold-weather meals. We should follow their wisdom and make meals frequently of soups, stews and baked vegetable dishes, supplementing with winter fruits, nuts, and seeds. Create a habitual complete protein meal of beans and rice, or quinoa with black beans. Seaweeds and winter greens can be sauteed or steamed in place of salads. It is important to keep eating greens for antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals. Avoiding extremes during the holiday season will reduce stress and keep your digestion regular. Just as restricting is not a good strategy, likewise overindulging can be problematic. Avoid too many sweet foods. Allow yourself to have them in moderation. When at family gatherings, don’t refill your plate — save leftovers for later. Take care to avoid chemical processed foods and packaged “holiday” foods.

3. Have a ready pick-me-up. The cold climate and holiday festivities make people want to sip coffee, hot chocolate, and other trendy beverages. These should be an occasional treat rather than a daily habit. To have the same pick-me-up effect without sugar crashes, simply have your favorite herbal tea handy and sip it warm every day. Chai tea, alfalfa, kukicha, turmeric, and matcha green have a warm “holiday” feeling that will energize you without sugar and excess caffeine.

4. Devote down time for the family. There may be many family meetings going on with relatives or friends, but your inner family circle should have at least a few lazy days to punctuate the holiday social time. At my house we make a stew or congee in the crock pot and sometimes spend the whole cold weekend watching movies wearing pajamas with sweaters and having what’s in the crock pot for lunch and dinner. You should absolutely not feel guilty about having a down-time weekend to rest and rejuvenate with the people you love the most. Holiday time is family time, and enjoying each other’s company with rest and relaxation is a very healthy thing to do.

5. Have time for yourself. When it is too cold to go outside, relaxing in a warm bath of epsom salts and getting in your favorite chair with a good book is a commendable choice. Self-care is important for emotional and mental wellbeing. Life isn’t all about doing, life is being, and self-care helps us to remember that. Some other self-care ideas include doing something creative like drawing or writing, doing the small tasks needed to help your week run smoother, watching your favorite movie, buying a holiday gift for yourself or reading up on a recipe or hobby you wanted to try.

6. Refill your medications before you run low. Fall and winter are the seasons of flu, cold, infections, and flare-ups of chronic illnesses. If you have a condition that you are on medication for, try to determine when you will need a refill and plan ahead, requesting it from your pharmacy and the prescribing doctor. That way you will be able to enjoy your holidays without the extra stress of potentially running out of medication.

I do all of these strategies when the holidays come around. They have helped me maintain health (and sanity) whenever the situation became overwhelming. Sometimes I get out the seed catalogs and circle things to plant in the spring. That always brings back enthusiasm and makes my family laugh. Besides embracing the moment and enjoying the clear starry sky and using the fireplace if you have one, you can always take time to reflect on how the year went for you, or to make plans for next year. We all have plans and dreams ahead, and though the holidays can seem like a distraction from them or an obstacle to be overcome, these cold weather days are truly the time for a break, to rest, recuperate, and remember what is important.

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Dr. Kimberly McMurtrey DNP, APRN, FNP-C is the Primary Provider at Tri Cities Health, located on West Elk Ave., Elizabethton. If you would like to submit a question for her to answer you can call 423-543-7000 or email your questions to tricitieshealth@outlook.com.

**Medical Disclaimer: The information contained in this column is not intended or implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment.