Keeping physically fit can also help you avoid holiday stress. Psychiatrist Norman E. Rosenthal, director of seasonal studies at the National Institute of Mental Health, and author of Winter Blues , fixed a room with bright lights and exercise equipment to have a cheerful place to fight winter blues and work off Christmas calories. The excitement of seasonal activities can keep adrenaline flowing and disrupt sleep. Fla. Try hard to keep doing whatever you normally do to relax, like exercise or read. When you miss sleep, give yourself a few days of catch-up time.
Alcohol can also disrupt sleep.
Or she has soda or mineral water with a slice of lime, which looks like a mixed drink. Psychologist Nancy Dess applies the same vigilance to her holiday diet. From Thanksgiving to New Year's Day, people often gorge and then fast, says Dess, an expert on eating and emotional health at Occidental College in Los Angeles. To escape overindulging at holiday parties, Dess keeps her energy on a constant level by having regular, substantial meals. All I Want for Christmas.