This time of year can be busy and stressful, but whatever your plans our Wellbeing Champions have some useful hints and tips for staying happy and healthy this festive season.
Keith, Digital Product Manager from Bexhill
What is it like in your household at Christmas?
We are BIG into Christmas - lots of tradition, nostalgia, and modern twists on the whole period. I come from a family that is traditionally Christian, so Christmas has always been a big thing.
Do you look forward to the festive period?
Yes, I love it being an excuse to eat cheese and drink wine with the family whilst watching a Christmas movie. The countdown starts the day after Guy Fawkes! Although, I once put my Christmas tree up in mid November and was so sick of it by Christmas I took it down on Boxing day morning.
What are your top tips for staying healthy around Christmas and New Year?
We know it’s a time of year to over-indulge, and also make some bad diet decisions. My tip would be to try and fit a few glasses of water in whilst
partying - you won’t feel as bad the next day or become so reliant on leftover party food.
Olivia, Renewals Team Leader from Leicester
What’s it like in your household at Christmas?
In my household we have strict rules at Christmas to eat as much as humanly possible, to watch a Christmas film every day of December, consume at least one mince pie a day and have Christmas songs in the background. We decorate each room of the house and put the tree up on the 1st December!
Do you look forward to the festive period?
I love Christmas as it brings the best out in people, I think we are all generally in a better mood and people are more willing to get involved in things than at other times of the year. I love finding meaningful gifts for people and watching them open them. I especially like that people seem to engage more with charity work and doing good deeds during this time.
What are your top tips for staying healthy around Christmas and New Year?
For me, I try to make sure I don’t lose all of my routine so I will still go to the gym and go for walks during the Christmas period (but not on the day). It's really easy to accidently stay in for the whole of December eating and drinking which then leads to January being difficult and full of new habits to break. To stay healthy, I find balance between having treats, and keeping up with my exercise. I also hate it when it's cold and dark, so I make sure I wrap up warm and get outside whilst it's still light. Eating a massive vegan Christmas dinner also helps!
Michael, Senior Pricing Analyst from our London office
What’s it like in your household at Christmas?
Over the last few years, I’ve spent Christmas in different households but all had the following in common: dinner taking at least a few hours to cook, Christmas cracker paper hats worn by all, and classic Christmas tunes played throughout the day.
Do you look forward to the festive period?
I really look forward to it! I find the nearer we get to the 25th, the more and more people start becoming available to meet up. There are always events planned in and out of work, and although it can get quite tiring at times, the mood is always more positive around Christmas. I also love eating all the festive foods!
What are your top tips for staying healthy around Christmas and New Year?
At risk of sounding boring, it’s quite easy to let yourself go a bit during the festive period as you let your hair down and start to relax. With this in mind, I try to plan a little bit ahead for when I have a few days of going places and meeting people. On these days, I am more conscious of the amount of food and drink I consume and try to purposefully slow down, pace myself, and not worry about getting through as much as I normally might.
Rosalyn, Senior Large and Complex Loss Technician from our Gibraltar office
What’s it like in your household at Christmas?
The dark nights start drawing in and the temperatures drop over the festive period in Gibraltar and I really look forward to watching Christmas films, having a glass of Bailey’s and putting the Christmas decorations up.
What are your top tips for staying healthy around Christmas and New Year?
My top tip for staying healthy at Christmas is to take some time for self-care, get some exercise in - even if it’s just long walks, have a nice relaxing bath, get enough sleep and drinks lots of water.
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