How You Can Stay Healthy During The Holidays
The holidays are wonderful – family, friends, good food, and good times. But the holidays also bring cold weather, flu season, stress, and a lot of travel (and airborne viruses).
To guide you this holiday season, we’ve outlined how to protect yourself from getting sick and what to do if you do.
Why Do We Get Sick During the Holidays?
It’s actually really common to get sick during the holidays vs other times of the year. The reasons for increased sickness include:
More travel, which exposes you to new environments and germs
Large gatherings and crowds (especially during shopping days) give viruses like the flu and COVID-19 the perfect chance to spread more easily
Increased emotional stress, anxiety, and depression during the holidays can weaken your immune system
Cold, winter weather can contribute to the spread of respiratory illnesses such as the flu, the common cold, and RSV (it can also worsen sinus infections or pneumonia)
Seasonal viruses peak during the fall and winter months, leading to a higher prevalence of sickness
How to Protect Yourself From Getting Sick
Staying healthy during the holidays is all about being proactive and prioritizing self-care. To protect your health this holiday season, our providers recommend the following:
Be sure to prioritize a healthy self-care routine including enough sleep, water, nutritious meals, and stress management
Get vaccinated for the flu and COVID-19 if you haven’t yet. This is critical for older individuals and those with weakened immune systems. Haven’t done this yet? Give us a call at 972-394-8844 or contact us online here to book your appointment to do so.
Practice good hygiene and help children to do so also. From washing your hands and keeping a house free of dust and dirt, to avoiding sharing utensils and using tissues when sneezing or coughing. These small habits go a long way to helping you and others stay healthy.
Be mindful when traveling by staying hydrated with water, carrying hand sanitizer, and if you have a weakened immune system wear a mask to avoid picking something up.
If you get sick, stay home and rest. We know this may be a hard one if your job or life responsibilities are a lot during the final months of the year, but the most effective way to stay healthy and prevent spreading illness to others is to stay home and rest when you get sick (immediately, not 2-3 days after you feel bad). Not resting when you start to feel sick can actually make it harder to recover.
Sick During the Holidays? Here’s What to Do.
To emphasize our last tip above, if you get sick during the holidays, stay home.
Nobody wants to miss out on their holiday gatherings, but it’s also not fun to try to be joyful and jolly when your head is heavy, or you’re congested or achy. Plus, giving relatives the gift of the flu is not a welcome holiday package.
If you get sick during the holidays, here’s what we recommend:
Get a lot of rest
Stay hydrated with water and electrolytes
Try to eat balanced, healthy meals as much as possible (sometimes you have no appetite when sick ,we get it, so we fall back on health soups and smoothies you can make at home that are packed full of good vitamins, minerals, and nutrients)
See your doctor if you start to feel worse, and visit the local emergency department if you have the flu, COVID, or pneumonia, and see worsening symptoms
Finally, we know it’s not the same as family dinner, but if you’re missing out on the holidays because you’re sick consider: stocking up on your favorite soups, watching your favorite holiday movies in bed, and video calling family and friends for a little quality time.