Wellness is so much more than healthy eating and rigorous workout regimes. Wellness is finding balance in all aspects of life; it’s being internally sound, outwardly loving, and intellectually attuned, all while keeping your body physically healthy. During the holidays, wellness is about finding balance in all these aspects of life, while still making time to finish your famous pumpkin spice cookies to send out to all the relatives. Finding balance during the holidays can be stressful. We all want the holidays to be perfect and sometimes we get so wrapped up in the hustle and bustle, and holiday planning, that we throw that foreign “wellness” concept right off the roof; picking up those Christmas lights to hang instead. There are several different types of wellness. Below are five forms of wellness with tips and family friendly activities to try this holiday season.
Emotional Wellness
Definition: “Emotional wellness inspires self-care, relaxation, stress reduction, and the development of inner strength.”
Tip: This season try to reduce your stress by delegating responsibilities across the whole family. Make time to relax and enjoy the company of your loved ones as well.
Activities for the Family: Cook your holiday dinner with help from your children. Take a deep breath as you allow your holiday dinner to go from picturesque to hectic. It will be fun and engaging for your kids and so worth it in the end as you learn to stress less and enjoy more.
Make a holiday movie checklist. Spend a day relaxing inside with your family. Watch all your favorite holiday classics and let go of your worries and stressors for the day. There are several local libraries scattered about the Coachella Valley, including Palm Desert Public Library, La Quinta Public Library, Palm Springs Public Library, and Indio Public Library. A few holiday classics found to rent at our local libraries are: Home Alone, The Polar Express, The NightMare Before Christmas, A Charlie Brown Christmas, Elf, Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer, How the Grinch Stole Christmas, Frosty the Snowman and The Santa Claus
Intellectual Wellness
Definition: “Intellectual wellness encourages us to engage in mentally stimulating activities.”
Tip: Create a few new holiday traditions this year that stimulate your kids’ brains, but also allows them to get into the holiday spirit.
Activities for the Family: Read Holiday Books. Make a list of your all-time favorite holiday books you read as a kid and read them with your kids! This can sprout to all ages too. Challenge your teenager with a good holiday read and see who gets through it the fastest.
Physical Wellness
Definition: “Proper care of your bodies for optimal health and functioning”
Tip: The Coachella Valley is finally cooling off. Get up and get outside!
Activities for the Family: Go on a night walk with your family to look at the Christmas lights around the neighborhood. The whole family can get a little exercise with some fun scenery. Try visiting Candy Cane Lane in Cathedral City or Robolights in Palm Springs.
Go on a family hike. The valley is filled with great desert hikes and it is finally cool enough to go explore them! A few valley favorites are: Hike to the Palm Desert Cross and Bump N’ Grind in Palm Desert; Tahquitz Canyon in Palm Springs; Coachella Valley Preserve in Thousand Palms and multiple trails at the top of La Quinta Cove.
Social Wellness
Definition: “Involves building healthy, nurturing and supportive relationships.”
Tip: The holidays are a time for giving. There are so many ways to build stronger relationships with the community and your loved ones. Teach your kids about the gift of giving by donating old or new toys.
Activities for the Family: Bring a new toy down to Coachella Valley Rescue Mission’s Annual Toy Drive located at Desert Vapors shops in Indio and Palm Desert.
Occupational Wellness
Definition: “Occupational wellness is about preparing for the workforce/bettering yourself in the workforce.”
Tip: A great way to prepare your children for the future is through chores. If your family already has chores in place, try switching up your schedule with a few holiday chore favorites. I know you can’t shovel snow here or rake up very many leaves, but believe it or not there are a few holiday chores you can have your children participate in.
Activities for the Family: Addressing cards. Have your kids help address the family holiday cards this season.
Set up holiday decorations/ take down holiday decorations. Putting up holiday decorations together is a great way to spend time as a family and it also puts the kids to work.
