It dawned on me the other day – after a specific incident I’ll mention in a moment – that despite all the joy and exhilaration of this season, it’s also one that can be loaded with danger if we’re not careful. And that’s exactly what we’re NOT during this month because there’s too much to do and because we’re rushing to get it all done.  

Let me backtrack. I’m terrified of falling. You already know that if you’ve read our book or have seen prior blogs (http://www.smartwomanshealth.com/horn_miller_blog/?p=282). Because of this, I am extra cautious about watching where and how I walk when doing stairs, and of course, when there’s been rain or snow or ice. We had a huge snowstorm over the weekend; in fact, it set a record for December snowfalls in Baltimore (a bit over 20 inches).Despite thinking I was being careful yesterday on the first day out after the snowstorm, I missed seeing a patch of ice as I was coming out of the grocery store, and the next thing I knew, I was flat on the ground with the hot tea from my cup spilled all over me. The only thing good about it was that it happened so fast that I didn’t have time to get that awful feeling you get AS you are falling.

That fall started me thinking that perhaps I had NOT been as cautious as I usually am, or that I had been in such a hurry because of all the things I had to do, that I was distracted. And this led me to the realization that distraction – due to rushing and being more overprogrammed than usual – can cause many unforeseen dangers during this busy and harried season.  

So, I made a list of these potential hazards that may occur because we are too busy, rushing too much, or overtired.

·        Falling or having an accident (car or other)

·        Overeating

·        Eating too much sugar

·        Drinking too much alcohol

·        Smoking too much or starting to smoke again

·        Spending too much money

·        Not getting enough sleep

·        Not getting enough exercise

·        Being emotionally raw and losing your temper unnecessarily

·        Getting depressed and not realizing it

·        Completely missing the joy of the season

 

Now, doing any of the above for a short period of time may not be harmful, but the Holiday Season generally lasts at least one month or more for all of us. And so does the rushing around and the lack of attention to our routine daily lives. Doing any or all of the above for a month or so can be devastating to our health, especially since it can lead us to break all our good habits from the prior ten or eleven months.

The simple remedy? SLOW DOWN and FOCUS.  Be aware that rushing and being distracted and trying to do too many things can put you at risk for an accident or worse.  Tell yourself that it’s ok if: 1) you don’t get your Holiday cards out until after Christmas or 2) you’re late to a holiday party or 3) you give someone on your list a gift card to Amazon instead of picking out the perfect present or 4) you send store-bought cookies to the school party instead of baking them yourself , and so forth. You get the picture.  Remember that all the perfectly-chosen gifts and home baked cookies in the world are not worth anything if they cost you your good health habit,  and thus, your good health.

Wishing you and yours a joyful and slow upcoming holiday weekend – Merry Christmas and Happy Kwanzaa! And hope your Chanukah was wonderful.