The holidays are a wonderful time of cheer and spending time with loved ones.

But it can also be a time of increased stress (shopping, parties, desserts, gift buying, less sleep, less exercise, etc).

The concept of Allostatic load is that stress is stress. It doesn't matter whether it's nutritional, physical, or mental. The body can only handle so much before it's overloaded.

When it's overloaded the output can vary (emotional, gastrointestinal, and or physical breakdowns).

The same goes for kids, even though they often don't communicate their stress the way adults do.

So make sure to enjoy the holidays, but also try to take it easy at times. Now might not be the best time to push through and conquer the world.

Try to take time for yourself and decrease your Allostatic load:

Do some enjoyable exercise
Watch a good movie with a loved one
Say no to things
Listen to music you love
Hang out with friends
Try to eat something without sugar
Don't overbook
Get a massage or acupuncture
Practice mindfulness / meditate
And with all that needs to be done these next few days, remind yourself it's okay to occasionally do nothing

Another thing to remember is the holidays aren't a joyous occasion for all. Some find it overwhelming and struggle with mental health. Others may have lost a loved one.

Being aware of this can prevent us from excessively projecting our holiday excitement on people that aren't in a place to receive it.