The famous song says it’s “the most wonderful time of the year”, but for many, the holidays can be super stressful.

Money worries. Work woes. Family feuds. Winter blues. Too many cookies, and too many glasses of eggnog.

Well, I’m here to show you that a happy, healthy holiday season is possible. Here are seven tips to get you started.

7 Ways to Make the Holidays Happy and Healthy

1. Manage your stress level

Easier said than done, right? But the fact is, it can be done if you make the effort. A few things have helped me lately, and they’re super simple.

One is meditating, even for just minutes a day. I use an app called Headspace and love it. You can get a free 10 day trial to see if you like it.

The other is breathing. Literally just breathing. Which sounds ridiculous, but it works. You see, when we’re stressed, we tend to hold our breath. Then we get tired and more stressed. So, check out this cool gif that helps you breathe deeply easily.

Try those two things – meditating and breathing – for a week and see if it reduces your stress level. If it does, keep doing it through the holidays and beyond.

2. Load up on antioxidants

Antioxidants help protect your cells from free radicals, which damage cells. Fruits and vegetables have tons of antioxidants, which makes green smoothies a great way to get them into your body.

If you’re looking for green smoothie inspiration, here’s my favorite green smoothie recipe.

Try to drink a green smoothie for breakfast so you’re ahead of the game and a few holiday treats later in the day won’t be so bad. ;)

3. Take your vitamins

A daily multivitamin is an easy way to make sure that you’re getting all of the vitamins and minerals you need to support your body and stay healthy, especially if you take it with a green smoothie. :)

I take these vitamins and supplements, and they give me so much energy!

This is such a simple way to boost your winter wellness.

4. Get moving

Getting regular exercise can help keep your immune system strong and healthy, even in winter. Now, I know the weather will be getting colder and it might be more challenging to get outside. But you can still get your exercise. Like meditating, you don’t have to exercise for a long time to reap the benefits. 10-20 minutes will still help you.

Take a walk midday when the sun is brightest and warmest. Hop on a treadmill if you have one. You could even jog in place or do laps around your kitchen table. I’m serious! My elderly neighbor (who passed away last year at 93 years old) did a mile of laps around his basement each day! An old school pedometer or the health app on your iPhone will help you keep track of steps and miles.

Just do it…and you’ll be jolly.

5. Wash your hands

Sounds simple enough, right? Just washing your hands vigorously for 20-30 seconds with regular soap (not antibacterial) will help you fight illness by cleaning the germs off your hands before they wreak havoc. This is the only hand soap I’ve used since 2012 – it’s amazing and does not dry your skin at all.

You don’t want to spend the holidays in bed with a bowl of chicken soup, so scrub those hands!

6. Catch some Zzz’s

Sleep is one of the most important ways to stay happy and healthy – it’s the time that our body restores and repairs itself – yet most of us don’t get enough of it. Adults need about 8 hours of sleep each night, and kids need 10 or more hours per night!

There are a few things you can do to get better sleep each night – set a bedtime each night (mine’s 9pm), and start to “unwind” an hour or so beforehand by turning off the computer, cell phone, and TV. Make sure your bedroom is dark enough (I use a battery powered travel alarm clock from Target instead of a digital clock that glows) and keep your electronics in another room (I turn my phone off and put it in the charger in my kitchen each night).

You can also try taking an Epsom salt bath (you can get them at CVS, Target or on Amazon) or a magnesium supplement like Natural Calm. Magnesium is super relaxing and will help you nestle all snug in your bed, while visions of sugar plums dance through your head.

7. Use essential oils

Essential oils are a huge part of my wellness. In fact, I use essential oils to support me in all six of the tips I mentioned above!

If you want to see how essential oils can help you be happier and healthier, contact me right here for more info.

Cheers to a happier, healthier holiday season!