Dr. Michael Omidi offers some tips on how to keep stress levels down over the holidays in this blog entry.
The holidays are supposed to be a time of cheer and joy, but they can also create stress. You want to make sure everything is perfect, and it never is. Stress is unavoidable, but you can do some things to help mitigate it. If you find yourself at the end of your yuletide wits, use healthy ways to cope.
That can be easier said than done, but keep in mind, elevated levels of stress can cause other symptoms. In order to help you through some rough holiday times, I’ve created a list of some things you can do to keep your stress levels down.
The holidays are to be spent with loved ones. Instead of worrying about how things are coming off with your festivities focus on your guests. Try to connect with them. When things are all said and done, people remember the emotional connections they make more than the color of your tablecloth.
When things don’t go as planned, don’t worry about it. If you are stressed, it can make people around you stressed. Remain calm and remember comedy equals tragedy, plus time.
Sometimes the people around you can cause stress. Don’t let someone else dampen your holiday spirits no matter how hard they try!
It can be easy to neglect yourself when worrying about others. Make sure to drink plenty of water and eat well. Your mental health starts with your body. We can get crabby when we are dehydrated or hungry. To be your best, start right.
Try to get some exercise throughout the season. Exercising is great for reducing or eliminating stress. If you feel a stress coming on, talk a brisk walk. Getting some fresh air and burning some calories will help you to calm down.
Deep breathing helps to increase oxygen levels in our bodies, which can help relieve stress. You can be mindful of this all day to help your mood, or become focused during times of anxiety. Inhale slowly through your nose, filling your lungs totally and slowly release. Do this a few times until you feel relief.
The best advice is to remember that things don’t have to be perfect, or just like the year before. Every year is special, hang-ups and all. Don’t sweat the small stuff. Spending time with those around you is what the season is about. Everything else is small stuff.
Happy and healthy holidays,
Dr. Michael Omidi
The Omidi Brothers, Michael Omidi and Julian Omidi, cofounders of several charities, wish you a happy and healthy holiday season.
Dr. Michael Omidi is an advocate for children’s health. In this article, he discusses the findings of a recent Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report on childhood obesity.
There may not be a lot of good news in the world today, but a new report from the Center for Disease Control shows we have made some progress against childhood obesity.
Low-income children have shown the most improvement, according to the CDC study. We still have a long way to go, but it is nice to finally see some decline.
Overweight children are five times more likely to be obese as adults, which can lead to a lifetime full of physical- and mental-health problems. For decades, obesity rates among low-income preschoolers have been steadily rising and currently one in eight preschoolers are obese. The numbers are worse for black and Hispanic children, the study shows.
Obesity rates for preschoolers are showing signs of improvement, but we still have more work to do. In 19 of the 43 states and provinces studied, obesity rates decreased during 2008-2011. These children are typically 2-4 years in age. Rates increased slightly in three states and stayed the same in 21 of the 43 areas studied.
The CDC study focused on data from 12 million children who participate in federally funded nutrition programs. It included children from 40 states, Washington D.C., the U.S. Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico.
There have been government initiatives that have taken effect that may have had an impact, but the CDC cannot say if these programs are responsible for the shift. Michele Obama’s Let’s Move! program, which started in 2010, encourages child care providers to reduce screen time, serve fresh fruits and vegetables at every meal, and provide outside play opportunities. The program is also trying to eliminate sugary drinks and fried foods from children’s diets.
The progress illustrated by the study is great news. After all, we’ve seen increases across the board in child obesity for decades. There is still much improvement to be made. This is a complex problem and will not be solved overnight.
Our children are the future. We need to give them the best start in life we can. The world is becoming aware of just how quickly habits are formed. Our society needs to find the best methods of curbing bad eating and lifestyle choices and make sure they are available to all our children and parents. One step at a time, we can do this.
Yours in health,
Dr. Michael Omidi
The Omidi brothers, Michael and Julian, are co-founders of the Childhood Obesity Fund. This charity has a focus of eliminating obesity in children.