Season’s Greetings

Season’s Greetings

Make Them Stress-Free This Year

Keep the happy in your holidays with a few sanity-keeping strategies:

  • Plan, plan, plan. Post a family calendar listing everyone’s activities, including time for family traditions. Give yourself permission to avoid over-committing by saying “no” to some events.
  • Make a budget and stick to it. Spending money on your loved ones is important, but it’s also important to pay your energy bill. Don’t buy gifts that you’ll be paying off for the rest of the year.
  • Stay active. Take a walk or do a short workout every morning to pump up the feel-good endorphins and begin each day with a positive outlook.

Stop the Struggle with Depression

If you feel down for days at a time, talk to a medical or mental health provider. It could be caused by seasonal affective disorder (SAD), which is triggered by shorter days and decreased sunlight.

  • Your doctor may prescribe light therapy, prescription medication, Vitamin D supplements, or lifestyle changes to minimize symptoms.
  • A few visits with a counselor can make all the difference. Try convenient, virtual visits through Teladoc (go to teladoc.com, download the Teladoc app, or call 1 (800) TELADOC (835-2362); not available to Medicare Prime Retirees.)

Outsmart Holiday Weight Gain

Maintaining a healthy weight during the holidays can be challenging when your social calendar is filled with cookie wars from Halloween to New Year’s. These tricks really work:

  • Pick the smallest plate in the buffet line.
  • Make it a habit to fill half your plate with veggies and fruit.
  • Curb the carb cravings: pass on white bread, white rice, crackers, etc.
  • Make every other drink a glass of water.
  • Limit yourself to one (reasonable!) serving of dessert.
  • Eat slowly and savor every delicious bite.

HealthFitness can help you develop healthy habits at no cost to you—from eating well, reducing stress, to exercising more. Log in today at us.mywell.site/hfit/AlaskaElectrical or call (877) 290-9992. (Available to participants and dependents 18 years and older; Medicare Prime Retirees are not eligible.)

back to top