Tips to Stay on Top of Your Health This Season

The end of the year is a time full of celebration and connection, but it can also be overwhelming and stressful. Between packed schedules, indulgent meals, and emotional ups and downs, it’s easy to feel off balance.

Discover practical ways you can stay grounded and resilient this fall and winter — mentally, physically, and emotionally.

Choosing yourself is important any time of the year, but especially during life’s busiest season. Taking care of your mental health and ensuring quality sleep starts with setting healthy boundaries with your job, family, and friends, both in terms of your time and the tasks you take on.

Shea Golding, PhD, clinical psychologist, Corewell Health in West Michigan, shares that being intentional about what you commit to can help create the space you need to rest, reflect, and recharge. Prioritizing time for yourself is a key part of protecting your mental health.

Sleep health can also play a vital role in how we manage stress and maintain emotional balance. Sleep has a strong influence on both our general coping abilities and our mood. During high-stress times like the holidays, poor sleep can lead to fatigue, irritability, difficulty concentrating, and even physical symptoms like headaches or muscle tension.

Dr. Golding shares a few simple ways people can improve their sleeping habits:

• Create a restful sleep environment by keeping your bedroom dark, quiet, and cool
• Maintain a consistent wake-up time, even on the weekends, to help regulate your body’s natural rhythm and to support better sleep quality
• Limit your social media use to help you stay present and engaged in your own life

How else can you stay grounded and resilient this season? Take five to 10 minutes for yourself and use that time to take a walk, listen to your favorite song, call a friend, or even write a gratitude list. These are small steps that can help you protect your mental health and positively set your day.

Food, family, and tradition often bring people together, but they can also be times when eating and stress surface.

Camille Adams, RD, Corewell Health in Southwest Michigan, encourages people to take a mindful approach to eating that supports both nutrition and emotional well-being. Mindful eating is not about restriction or dieting, but it should be about awareness.

As a registered dietitian, Camille highlights two common misconceptions:

• “Holiday meals undo my health and fitness progress.” Having one or two days of celebration won’t derail your health goals, especially if you have a balanced meal.
• “Traditional Thanksgiving or Christmas food is so unhealthy.” Traditional meals like greens and sweet potatoes actually include key nutrients that are rich in potassium, magnesium, copper, vitamin C, and vitamin A.

Before sitting down to any meal, Camille recommends taking a moment to check in with yourself. Are you present and relaxed, or distracted and rushed? Being mindful helps you recognize hunger and fullness cues, which can prevent overeating and support emotional balance.

Below are a few simple strategies Camille recommends to stay nourished and mindful all season long:

• Build a balanced plate: Include protein, carbohydrates, and vegetables
• Hydrate: Drink water throughout the day
• Eat slowly: Give your body time to feel full before going back for seconds
• Don’t skip meals: Avoid "saving up” for holiday dinners to prevent overeating
• Plan ahead: If dinner will be heavy, consider a lighter breakfast to maintain balance
• Bring what you need: Contribute a dish that fits your goals – try healthier recipes like homemade cranberry sauce

This season naturally draws us into caring for family, friends, and community, but when your own health takes a back seat, you may end up exhausted, run-down, resentful, or even sick, which makes it harder to care for anyone else.

Asha Shajahan, MD, Corewell Health in Southeast Michigan, encourages everyone to treat their health as part of their fall and winter “to-do” lists. Small acts of self-care aren’t selfish, they’re essential. When you prioritize your well-being, you show up with more energy, patience, and joy for the people you love. And that, in many ways, is the greatest gift you can give during the season.