The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released guidelines for safely celebrating the upcoming holiday season. Because large indoor gatherings are common for the holidays, the best way to minimize COVID-19 risks and keep your family and friends safer is to get vaccinated if you’re eligible.
As we approach the second holiday season during the pandemic, it’s important to familiarize yourself with the CDC’s recommendations to plan safer gatherings.

How to Gather

The biggest difference between the holidays last year and the upcoming season is that COVID-19 vaccines are readily available in the United States. Additionally, there are several ways to enjoy holiday traditions and protect your health. The CDC recommends the following to keep yourself and your loved ones safe this holiday season:

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With the fall and winter months comes flu season. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), flu activity peaks between December and February so now’s the time to ensure you’re prepared. Social distancing and mask mandates significantly prevented a “twindemic” last year as the flu season coincided with the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
Those safety measures helped prevent a majority of flu cases. However, as more states and businesses lift mask mandates and other preventive measures, the flu virus may circulate much more freely than it did last year.

The CDC estimates that 12,000 to 61,000 people die each year from the flu.

Preventing the Flu

The flu vaccine is your best chance of preventing the illness—especially this year. The CDC recommends an annual flu vaccine for anyone 6 months of age or older.

There are more ways to help protect yourself and others during this flu season. Avoid close contact with people who are sick, and stay home when you’re ill. It’s also critical to continue good hygiene by covering your coughs and sneezes and washing your hands.

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Re-entry anxiety is an overall uneasiness or uncertainty about returning to the way things were before the pandemic. This feeling may be triggered when meeting socially with friends and family, going back to the workplace or pursuing other important aspects of social interaction. It might be difficult to get reacclimated, but it’s important to remember that you’re not alone.

Managing Your Re-entry Anxiety

Different people have different coping strategies, but there are some common ways everyone can cope with re-entry anxiety. If you’re feeling anxious as you transition back to your pre-COVID-19 life, consider the following five coping tips:

1. Start small and gradually build up to more significant social interactions. Don’t rush into anything.
2. Set boundaries by letting other people know what you’re comfortable with. There’s no need to apologize for not wanting to do something, so clearly explain how you feel and also be respectful of others.
3. Make a post-pandemic bucket list to shift your thinking from anxious to positive. A lot has changed due to the pandemic, but you can focus on the new possibilities.
4. Do what makes you happy, even if only for a few minutes each day. It’s important to engage in something fulfilling for yourself regularly.
5. Take care of yourself and set aside time every day to relax and reset your mind.

Breathing Exercises for Anxiety

When anxious, you tend to take rapid, shallow breaths from the chest. Chest breathing can result in increased heart rate, dizziness and muscle tension. During abdominal or diaphragmatic breathing, you instead take even deep breaths, which reduces the amount of work your body needs to do to breathe.

Cholesterol and You

Did you know one in three American adults has high cholesterol? Cholesterol is a waxy substance found in your blood. Your body needs it to build cells, but too much can pose a problem. Cholesterol travels through the blood on proteins called lipoproteins. There are two types of lipoproteins:

1. LDL (low-density lipoprotein)—known as bad cholesterol—makes up most of your body’s cholesterol. High levels of LDL cholesterol can increase your risk for heart disease and stroke.
2. HDL (high-density lipoprotein)—known as good cholesterol—absorbs cholesterol and carries it back to the liver to be flushed from the body.
   Bad cholesterol can be elevated by certain factors, including obesity, physical inactivity, unhealthy diet, smoking, excessive alcohol use and family history. High cholesterol usually has no symptoms, so it’s best to have a cholesterol screening every four to six years and discuss lifestyle risks with a doctor.

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If you’re trading your staycation for a getaway, here are some tips to keep you as safe as possible this summer:

• Get vaccinated. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends delaying travel until you are able to get fully vaccinated.
• Stay domestic. Although Europe continues to open up to fully vaccinated U.S. travelers, the global travel situation is in flux. Some countries are closing their borders again or enforcing strict curfews and mandates.
• Take a road trip. Traveling by car is still safer than flying as it involves less exposure to people.
• Explore the outdoors. Outdoor activities are generally safer. Get outdoorsy or visit small towns to distance yourself from others easily.
• Check travel restrictions. Be flexible and continue checking state and local policies for where you are, along your route and where you are going.
• Keep up with COVID-19 safety precautions. Pack extra masks and hand sanitizer for any outing. Regardless of your vaccination status, you should still wear a mask, avoid crowds and wash your hands frequently when traveling.

If you’re not traveling this summer, use your vacation time to reconnect with friends and family who you’ve missed.

What’s Better—Caffeine or Sleep?

A new study in the Journal of Experimental Psychology tested how caffeine and sleep can impact your day and overall effectiveness at completing tasks. Experts revealed that caffeine can help you stay awake if you’re sleep-deprived, but it likely won’t improve your performance on tasks.

Caffeine can help you get through the midday slump, but it isn’t a substitute for a good night’s sleep. Sleeping is needed to help repair body tissue and cleanse the brain of plaque buildup. Adequate sleep is especially important for people in high-functioning work environments who work long hours, such as medical professionals and truck drivers. Also, not only is coffee a poor substitute for sleep, but overconsumption of caffeine—more than 400 mg daily—can also disrupt sleep.

Mental Health Support During the Pandemic

Rarely has there been a greater need for mental health support than now. Before the pandemic, there were already shortages of mental health professionals. For example, there were 45 psychologists or psychiatrists for every 100,000 Americans. In some places, that ratio was just one professional per every 30,000 people. Additionally, Mental Health America data reveals almost a quarter of adults with a mental illness say they aren’t able to get the treatment they need.
As the pandemic continues to strain health care resources and take a toll on personal well-being, there are some ways to still receive mental health support. Telehealth is a great place to start to receive mental health care via video conferencing. Additional support resources include:
• Your primary care doctor, who can point you in the direction of mental health resources
• State psychological associations
• Work-based wellness and employee assistance programs
• The SAMHSA’s National Helpline, which is free, confidential and available 24/7 by calling 800-662-HELP (4357)
• The United Way’s free and confidential service for community resources
There’s hope on the horizon with COVID-19 vaccine rollouts, but the pandemic is still evolving. Continue to check in with yourself and reach out for help.

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Five Ways to Start Your Year Off Right!
2020 has likely given you time to reflect and think about what you’d like to change about your lifestyle. This is a good time to make positive life changes and strive for an overall healthier self. Consider the following five tips to start the new year off right:

1. Check in on your mental health. Mental health is just as important as physical health in building a healthy lifestyle. Reach out to a professional if you need help.
2. Be social. Isolating during the COVID-19 pandemic doesn’t have to mean loneliness. Reconnect with others virtually or while practicing social distancing.
3. Get regular checkups. Stay up to date on your annual physicals and necessary health tests. Screenings can help identify health issues to be addressed.
4. Drink more water. Consuming sugary drinks, like juice or soda, can cause liver damage, premature aging and anxiety. Avoid excessive alcohol consumption as well.
5. Count nutrients, not calories. Focus on improving the overall quality of your diet and not getting hung up on calories. Achieve this by adding more fiber, protein and probiotics to your diet.

Kick Stress Eating to the Curb

As the COVID-19 pandemic and winter season continue, you may be fighting the urge to eat your feelings. Although stress eating may be soothing at first, you likely won’t feel better in the end. Consuming excess calories in one sitting can cause fatigue, bloating, stomach discomfort and weight gain over time. Consider the following ways to cope with stress eating:

Don’t Forget, It’s National Blood Donor Month

Winter is one of the most difficult times of the year to collect enough blood products and donations to meet patient needs. That’s why National Blood Donor Month is celebrated every January. This month, resolve to be a blood donor and consider the following health benefits of donating blood regularly:

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