Silly Season Survival Techniques

Guest Blog – Adrian Janschek (aka hubby)

Now that Christmas is upon us, and (hopefully!) the stress of organising presents, finding parking, allocating your non-existent time between errands, kids and your calendar is ‘so last week’, can we sit down and relax already?

Christmas is a special time in our culture, a time to bond and play with your immediate and extended families, as well as friends.  It is a time for giving, for generosity, for expressing your religious beliefs, and for appreciating what we have.  There is nothing better than watching the excitement build in your children as the tree goes up, the letters to Santa are posted and Christmas approaches.

It is also a celebratory period, and overindulgence is almost as difficult to escape as a conversation with the ‘outlaws’. We’re not robots, and letting the hair down at the end of a long year (are they getting shorter??) is understandable. But we all know what the aftermath looks and feels like, don’t we? So how can we get the most out of the festivities and manage our health at the same time? Well, there are some things to be mindful of …

Like a change in the weather, moving abruptly from work mode into a holiday (or play mode) can play havoc with our immune systems as we de-stress and the body releases built-up toxins. Colds and headaches are commonplace, the latter being typical of many people as they move into weekends, let alone holidays.

So … look after yourself!

Food consumption is one of the great pleasures in life. Too many Christmas roasts, vegetables and puddings are never enough. Or are they? Stretching the stomach out with large, consecutive time-compressed meals (typical at Christmas time) puts an enormous strain on our body’s digestive system, reducing the positive things the body could otherwise be doing, like healing. It usually manifests as indigestion, lack of energy or other uncomfortable malady … or perhaps just our eyes rolling into the back of our head as we merge speechlessly into the couch wishing it was Boxing Day so we could at least veg out in front of the cricket and get away with nothing more than a mumble. We’ve all done it at some point.

So rather than put out someone’s eye as your belt button turns into a supernova and hurtles across the room like the Millenium Falcon, put down the dip, and step away from the picky plate. Keep your portions small, leave that famous 20 minute window open before springboarding into seconds (there WILL be enough food, it ain’t going anywhere), and politely decline the offer to get on the trampoline after you’ve just downed the dessert. Be your inner Costanza – keep your body wanting a bit more. 20 minutes later you will probably be feeling quite content and glad you can still move!

If you are able (and I suggest making the time in peak feast season), begin the day with some form of exercise. Whether it’s walking or running, swimming, bike riding or something else, you just want to get the body moving, the heart pumping and the blood flowing, not to mention the food digesting!

If possible, do it outdoors by the beach, a lake, or another a place of beauty, tranquillity and meaning. The early morning is exhilarating as the sun rises, vitamin D showers the body and you ‘ground’ yourself to the earth. If you do it already, then you’ll know the benefits of such activity, and how becoming energised early doors can carry you effortlessly through the day, while at the same time keeping the body’s metabolism humming. If you don’t, no time to lose. We’re here for a good time, not a long time!

Above all, enjoy yourself and make the most of whatever you are doing. Peace and goodwill to you, and a very merry Chirstmas.

Adrian