Tip #2 for Beating the Holiday Blues: Get plenty of rest. Stay hydrated and remember to breathe … deeply!
When your body is in hibernation mode (as it usually is during this time of the year) it needs even more sleep than usual. Be sure to get at least 8-9 hours of sleep a night but not more. If that’s not possible, make up for lost sleep by taking frequent naps, and sleeping in whenever possible. The more you go against your body’s natural rhythms the more tired you will be and that will affect your concentration, productivity, and ability to get things done, not to mention make you more susceptible to catching colds or the flu.
Louis Pasteur, the creator of “Germ Theory” which asserts that germs are “out there” ready to invade and attack our bodies, made this statement on his deathbed: “The microbe is nothing, the terrain is everything.” With this statement, he validated the work of his contemporary Pierre Bechamp who showed that what’s important is the “terrain” (i.e. the environment inside your body, not the “germs” themselves). So taking a page from Bechamp’s playbook, the best way to beat the germs that cause colds, flu and other illness is to maintain a “clean” and healthy environment inside your body. Forget the vaccines! Take better care of yourself.
Drink plenty of fluids, but especially lots of water, to stay hydrated. This is something you should always do –year round—but it’s extremely important at this time of the year if you’re consuming a lot of alcohol and sugar, as most of us tend to do. Staying hydrated will help keep toxins flushed out and your skin will be a lot happier too. How do you know if you’re dehydrated? A couple of signs are dry mouth (this is actually the last outward sign of dehydration), dark or orange-colored urine (if you’re well hydrated, your urine should be colorless), and thirstiness. You can follow the old adage and drink 8 glasses of water a day but ideally you should drink half of your body weight in ounces.
And remember to breathe often and deeply. Getting some regular form of aerobic exercise can make all the difference in your energy level and how you feel, improve the quality of your sleep, and help you cope better. So even though you’re busy, commit to getting at least 10-15 minutes a day (30 minutes is ideal) of some type of exercise. The increase in your circulation will help you handle the cold weather better and improve your body’s fat-burning abilities – two things that can contribute to that sluggish feeling we often get during the holidays!
December 20th, 2009 at 11:28 am
I find that exercising really helps fight stress. After a good work out, my body goes into full relaxation mode, allowing me a good night’s sleep and putting me in a more calm state of mind.