Healthy & Happy Holidays in a Global Pandemic

The holiday season can be the most stressful time of year in the best of years with its office parties and gatherings with friends and family, in addition to extra shopping, holiday festivities and dining out. This year, we can add the stress of the COVID-19 pandemic to the mix and, with that said, it’s time to get creative and change things up in order to stay healthy and enjoy this time of year.

Even with COVID-19 we can still have meaningful celebrations this year, we just need to make some adjustments. During Thanksgiving, Christmas, Hanukkah or Kwanzaa, honor precaution over tradition to keep your loved ones safe, especially if some of your usual guests are older or have underlying health conditions.
 
Whether you are planning to host a holiday gathering or go out this year, there are some things you can do to minimize risk and still enjoy this time with loved ones.

• Keep gatherings small – no more than 10 people.
• Skip hugs, kisses and handshakes.
• Stock bathrooms with enough hand soap and single use towels.
• Encourage often hand washing with soap and water for at least 20 seconds.
• Keep hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol available around the house.
• Keep music levels down so people don’t have to shout or speak loudly to be heard.
• Wear masks except when eating or drinking.
• Keep windows open to increase air circulation.
• Appoint one person to place food on everyone’s plate, so people don’t touch shared utensils.
• Use disposable plates, flatware, cups and napkins.
• Consider an alcohol-free event, since drinking lowers inhibitions.

 
One of the most important things we can do this holiday season to remain healthy is to express gratitude. Gratitude can have a wide-range of psychological and physical benefits. It can:

• Increase your personal happiness.
• Help you get better sleep.
• Improves our relationships.
• Makes you healthier.
• Increases your energy.
• Helps us relax.
• Helps you live longer.

 
It has been shown that gratitude is a keystone habit — a simple behavior that can have a positive impact on many different aspects of your life.

For more information and ways to stay safe during the holidays, click here to read the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidelines regarding how to reduce the spread of COVID-19 during holiday celebrations.
 
All of us at Allied National want to wish you a very healthy and happy holiday season!

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Allied National

Founded in 1970, Allied is one of the nation's oldest and most experienced third-party administrators. Allied National is a 90 Degree Benefits Company, a subsidiary of Blue Cross Blue Shield Alabama. As the small group benefit experts, Allied works with small business employers to provide unique and affordable group health benefits.