Staying Healthy During Holidays

 DiAnn Mills

From the Harvest Festival candy corn to Thanksgiving turkey and pumpkin pie, to Christmas cookies, and finally to New Year’s goodies, we are planning and racing from one spectacular event to the other. Workloads and family responsibilities typically do not change, we just slide the holiday activities in.

What can that mean for writers? Holiday activities often mean a little less sleep and a lot more carbs. But our deadlines do not budge. We must keep on top of our game and that means turning in our manuscripts and posting on social media in a timely fashion.

The hurried pace can make us cranky. The fast pace can give us a headache. We might experience weight gain, possible illness—all preventing us from enjoying a most favorite time of the year.

So how can we celebrate, stay healthy, and maintain our writing schedule? Here are 7 tips to help us manage the fun and avoid the stress of a weakened body during precious family times and exciting visits with friends.

1.     Insist upon 8 hours of sleep. This average amount of sleep for an adult is vital to keeping the body physically healthy and mentally alert. While asleep, the body repairs itself which means we stay healthier. Appetites are more easily managed, and our memories are heightened.

2.     Learn to say no. The invitations trickle in until we realize we are too heavily scheduled. Attending parties becomes a chore. Carefully select the events you want to attend. Consider your family’s needs. Your writing responsibilities. What parties include spouses or children?

3.     Make nutritious food choices. Many of today’s hosts understand the demands of individual dietary needs. Alongside traditional appetizers, main dishes, sides, and desserts, you may find gluten-free, sugar-free, and low-fat options are also available.

4.     Drink lots of water. This allows our bodies to flush out wastes, stay hydrated, perform better, fight disease, and maintain a balanced body.

5.     Exercise. Those of you who know me have heard my stand on daily exercise. Not only does it fight diseases such as diabetes and high blood pressure, but it also helps maintain weight, improves mood, fires brain cells for optimum creativity, and gives us energy.

6.     Establish a budget at the start of the season and stick to it. Nothing destroys relationships faster than a refusal to adhere to a budget. The funds allotted for the season should include all expenses. How sad for individuals to go in debt for holiday expenses. We can avoid post-holiday depression by staying within budget.

7.     Start the day with prayer. Let God guide you through every minute of the day.

 

What tips do you have for writers to stay healthy during the holidays?

DiAnn Mills is a bestselling author who believes her readers should expect an adventure. She weaves memorable characters with unpredictable plots to create action-packed, suspense-filled novels. DiAnn believes every breath of life is someone’s story, so why not capture those moments and create a thrilling adventure? Her titles have appeared on the CBA and ECPA bestseller lists; won two Christy Awards; and been finalists for the RITA, Daphne Du Maurier, Inspirational Readers’ Choice, and Carol award contests. DiAnn is a founding board member of the American Christian Fiction Writers, a member of Advanced Writers and Speakers Association, Mystery Writers of America, Sisters in Crime, and International Thriller Writers. She is the director of The Blue Ridge Mountain Christian Writers Conference, Mountainside Marketing Conference, and the Mountainside Novelist Retreat with social media specialist Edie Melson where she continues her passion of helping other writers be successful.

Visit DiAnn Mills at https://diannmills.com/, https://www.facebook.com/diannmills, https://twitter.com/diannmills