Keeping the “Happy” in the Holidays
   
With the season of peace and joy upon us, we busy ourselves with holiday activities such as shopping, cooking, decorating and socializing.   While it is an enjoyable time of year for many, extra demands are made of our time, energy, and financial resources which can leave us feeling depleted. When we pause to restore balance to our body, mind, and spirit, we are able to give abundantly to others without resentment. The following are suggestions to help you feel your best during this holiday season.

1. Limit the holiday goodies. Avoid or reduce simple carbohydrates such as white flour breads, cookies, candy, and sugar that can cause mood swings and fatigue.  If you find that you are unable to resist sweets, see a holistic practitioner who can investigate the possibility of Candida Albicans, hormone deficiencies, or food addictions through lab tests or applied kinesiology.

2. Exercise for a healthier mind, body, and stress reduction.  If you are medically cleared, plan to do at least 30 minutes of exercise daily.  

3. Get adequate sleep each night. If you are sleep deprived, mood swings can easily set in.  With holiday preparations, you may feel the urge to work past your usual bedtime. Resist this urge.  Get enough sleep and enjoy your family and friends.  Note:  studies have shown that sleep deprivation is linked with weight gain. 

4.  Supplement your diet with Vitamin D3.  D3 has been found to enhance mood in healthy people during the winter.  This is particularly important for residents of Michigan, as our winter days are often cloudy without much exposure to direct sunlight.   In other studies, D3 was also shown to reduce carbohydrate cravings and the excessive desire to sleep in the winter.  Other nutritional supplements should be recommended by a qualified practitioner.

5.  Pray daily and connect with God.  Take time to celebrate life and give gratitude to God for all things, big and small!  Appreciating blessings puts the small hassles of life into perspective.  Gratitude to God gives us joy and peace.  Staying connected to God gives us strength to fulfill our life purpose.

6.  Avoid debt.  Set a realistic budget for holiday spending and stick to it.  Post-holiday credit card debt can fuel anxiety and depression.  Make connection, not commerce your goal this season.  If you have difficulty controlling your spending, consider a practitioner who can use Emotional Freedom Technique to clear negative emotions associated with money, debt, and over-spending.

7.  Volunteer. Consider joining a charity work organization. Giving your talent & services to others in need will be as much a blessing to you as it is to them. 

8.  Avoid, reduce alcohol.  While holiday social drinking creates temporary euphoria, alcohol is a depressant of the central nervous system.  Excessive alcohol consumption creates mood swings, fatigue, weight gain, skin disorders, and liver impairment to name a few.  If you are drinking excessively, an Emotional Freedom Technique practitioner can help you release negative emotions underlying the urge to drink.  A naturopath or holistic practitioner can recommend a nutritional and detoxification program to repair the body and restore function.

9. Keep holiday plans simple and realistic.  Communicate needs and expectations.  Share chores.  Ask for help.  Offer to help.  Understand that others may be grieving or lonely.  

10.  Be flexible.   Fond memories are recalled by holiday rituals for many people.  This is often why they are treasured, such as a pie or casserole recipe.  However, there may be holidays in which the family rituals should be changed or temporarily dropped if there is a recent death in the family or divorce.  Last year, my beloved father-in-law died suddenly a week before Christmas.   We minimized the Christmas decorations and, for a drastic change, we had Chinese food for Christmas dinner.  We were able to enjoy our time together that Christmas day, without triggering memories of Christmas past. It was a few hours of grief reprieve.  Flexibility was needed and appreciated by all.

11.  Resolve inner emotional conflicts.   For some people family holiday gatherings bring old conflicts to the emotional surface.  Traumatic memories, disappointments, shame, anger, and anxiety can be more intense during the holidays.  If you find these emotions are decreasing your energy and joy in life or you suspect that they may be behind a physical illness, seek a skilled, intuitive Emotional Freedom Technique practitioner which can help you release negative emotions energetically and provide counseling.

Using the above strategies will help you stay in balance and enjoy this holiday season.

Lezlie Cebulski, ND, EFT-ADV

_{Lezlie Cebulski, ND, EFT-ADV Lezlie is an Alternative Medicine & Holistic Health Board certified, Doctor of Naturopathy, EFT practitioner, & Christian spiritual counselor. She has a Doctorate in Naturopathy and a B.A. in Psychology.  Call 734-787-0626 or visit www.holistic-healing-wellness.com}