Posted by kathryn in Seasonal Health

Christmas is usually a quiet time for me. Almost no one wants to see their nutritionist pre-Christmas and most of my writing work calms down.

Given I work for myself and am not in the corporate sector, I usually have only a handful of Christmas functions. Normally this is the time of year I can relax, do some tidying and admin and clear my head.

But not this year.

For some reason 2007 is proving totally different. Yes clinic is quiet, but I have three writing deadlines and Christmas functions coming out of my ears.

I’m a person who needs time to myself to rejuvenate. I also simply can’t do the over-eating and over-drinking on a regular basis. It leaves me too tired, sluggish and feeling generally awful. This then affects my mood, work and ability to get things done.

So, in amongst the busy-ness these are the five strategies I’ve been following, to keep myself well.

1. I’ve scheduled some nights at home

Last week I had commitments Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday. So I made sure I kept Thursday free and have also scheduled two free evenings in my diary this week. Whatever the invitations, I know I need these free evenings to keep sane and stress-free.

2. I’ve been drinking gallons of water

I often forget about water and don’t think to drink until I’m parched. Given it’s steamy in Sydney and most of my Christmas functions have involved a few drinks, I’ve been making a concerted effort to keep well hydrated during the day.

I’ve also been trying to have a few glasses of water when out in the evening.

3. I eat well when I can

It’s not always possibly to be in control of what you’re eating at this time of year. You can turn up to a Christmas function and all the finger food is deep fried or covered in cream.

Therefore I simply do the best I can. I have a good breakfast, my normal lunch-time salad and then make the best choices I can in the evening. Plus on the nights at home, I’ve been eating a light meal, with lots of vegies.

4. I’m still exercising

This can be the time of year when the exercise routine goes out the window. And I’m not doing as much as I normally would.

But I’m not beating myself up about this, instead I’m trying to get out when I can and do at least 20 minutes. This is enough time to get my heart rate up and clear my head.

5. I’ve been taking a multivitamin

I figure at this time of year, my body and my diet could do with a boost. I particularly need the B vitamins. So I’ve been supplementing with a good multivitamin and B complex. It’s my pre-Christmas nutritional insurance.

And this is working for me. I’m sleeping well, feeling good and keeping that toxic Christmas feeling at bay.

How about you – are you doing anything at this time of year to keep well?

Photograph by Cyron under the terms of a Creative Commons License.

18 December, 2007