The holidays are great but can take a toll on our health. Just ask Santa. Even the holiday hall-of-famer can fall victim to seasonal ailments.

Stress, weight gain, lack of sleep and inactivity are as common this time of year as bad fruitcake and ugly holiday sweaters. And Santa, like you, isn’t immune to these concerns.

Causes of poor holiday health

Between long hours at the workshop, elf performance reviews, a diet of cookies and hot cocoa and, of course, traveling the globe to visit millions of children, the holidays can chip away at St. Nick’s health.

“Typically, poor health around the holidays boils down to diet and sleep,” said Dr. Nicholas Brahm, a Marshfield Clinic Health System family medicine physician. “If you aren’t eating well or sleeping well, you won’t feel well.” This can cause ripple effects that impact your health long after the holidays are over.

But Santa can take steps to improve and protect his health this holiday season, as can you. Here are a few simple tips to improve your holiday health, straight from St. Nick and Dr. Brahm.

“Take care of yourself,” encouraged Dr. Brahm. “Don’t overbook your schedule, schedule time for yourself to be active. Make healthy diet choices and when having treats, watch your portions. Make sure you get rest!”

If you and Santa follow these pieces of advice, you will make it through the holiday season feeling less stressed, more rested and ready to take on the new year.

For questions about holiday stress, talk to a Marshfield Clinic Health System provider.

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