Holiday seasons are filled with laughter, family gatherings, good food, gift exchanges, and making lasting memories with loved ones. But honestly, holidays are filled with overeating, ruining our daily routines, dealing with over-invited friends and family and spending too much money on gifts. We all like to keep a warm smile and cheerful persona, but deep down, we are all suffering, and we would be glad that we survived the holidays.

I am not writing this for the sake of entertaining you, but bringing real lasting solution to manage holiday stress and keep yourself healthy – mentally, physically, and emotionally. Setting healthy boundaries in budgeting gifts and learning to say “no” (politely) can help your mental health.

If we evaluate our lives, many of our issues are self-inflicting choices. Why not prevent this in the first place? Higher credit card bills during the holidays or feeling obligated to always saying “yes” can be mentally stressful. Our first obligation is to take care of own personal needs, because if we do not take care of our own “self’ properly, we can not help people around us when needed.

With the busy holiday season, our personal routine can be at jeopardy, too. Making sure to eat a balanced meal, supplementing with proper nutrients/vitamins to support our body (ex. taking extra Vitamin D during the winter) getting restful sleep, being active (i.e. yoga, high intensity exercise, indoor/outdoor running, group fitness classes), and avoiding excessive drinking can go a long way for our physical needs. We tend to over-indulge during the holidays, then set goals for the New Year to be active and fit. Let us set a great intention now by building a personal routine that can forge a better outcome for the New Year.

As a pharmacist who specializes in holistic/alternative medicine and phyto-cannabinoid medicine, I would also add cannabidiol (CBD) to this health routine. CBD has been shown to help with inflammation, promote health and well-being, relaxation and immune balance. Who says extra relaxation bad for you?

It’s your call. Make it count.

If you have any questions about vitamins, health, cannabidiol (CBD), please reach out to me anytime at john@robinsondrugshop.com or visit my pharmacy – Robinson Drug & Compounding Center – in Mendham, NJ.

D.H. John Kim, Pharm.D, FAARFM
Owner and Wellness Consultant of Robinson Drug & Compounding Instagram: @dr.john.pharmd