Top Holiday Stressors that Wreck Your Gut and How to Deal with Them
The holiday season is upon us again and that means a lot of changes in our normal routines. That also means a lot of changes to the composition of the microbes working in our intestinal tract.
From visiting your in-laws to the foods you eat and the disruptions in your normal routine, there are a lot of things that affect your gut. The biggest cause of these changes is stress.
How does stress affect your gut health?
Stress affects everything. You probably notice a difference in your skin, hair, and general health when your stress levels are higher than normal. Your gut is no different. Your gut is highly affected by stress and can lead to all of these additional side effects of stress.
Stress switches you into fight-or-flight mode by igniting your hypothalamic pituitary adrenal (HPA) axis. The HPA axis is essentially our stress response system. When you experience stress a cascade of hormones is released to get your body prepared to take down or run away from whatever is causing you stress.
That’s why you can either have watery stools or extremely slowed digestion during periods of stress.
When you’re experiencing chronic stress, it causes this to become a cycle that induces damage to your digestive tract. Your intestinal tract will become permeable as a result of constantly being told to react that way — a phenomenon known as leaky gut syndrome.
Leaky gut has been linked to nearly all diseases. So it’s important to control factors that lead to leaky gut syndrome. Stress is one of the biggest factors that initiate a leaky gut. Some other factors include:
- Diet
- Environmental factors
- Sleeping habits
- Lifestyle choices (alcohol and nicotine consumption)
Let’s talk about some of the most common holiday-related stressors that can negatively affect your gut health.
1. Traveling
Traveling during the holidays brings on a ton of different stressors that you don’t normally have to worry about — especially since the pandemic began. Some of the most difficult things to deal with during holiday traveling are:
- Figuring out how to travel (flight, drive, etc.)
- Where to stay
- How long to plan for
- What happens if you have a delay or hit traffic
- Other travelers who may be carrying communicable diseases
- Changes to your everyday schedule
- Snack and meal availability and type
- Accommodating your family or friends that you’re traveling with
There are so many things to consider when traveling. So to keep your stress levels low make sure you are prepared. Start planning things and keep a travel notebook ahead of time to make sure you take care of everything important. This can include your:
- Itinerary
- Tickets
- Packing checklists
- Creating a map of where you want to stop to eat
- Having masks and hand sanitizer on hand (though keep in mind that washing your hands is better than using hand sanitizer)
- Mentally visualize your trip going smoothly — work through any problems through meditation so you know what to do when the time comes
2. Visiting with your in-laws rather than your own family
Some interesting research has come out proving the fact that most people are often more stressed out when they’re visiting with their in-laws as opposed to their family. It affects your physical and mental health.
Researchers found that healthy bacterial species were reduced in people who were visiting with in-laws that they didn’t get along with compared to those who spent the holidays with their own families. The bacteria in question are related to depression and increased stress levels.
So what’s the fix to this controversial scenario? First, don’t start using science as an excuse to avoid your in-laws (that very likely won’t go over well). Use it as an opportunity to figure out how to make your time spent with them more enjoyable. If you’re stubborn and continue to fight, you’re putting your health at risk, which isn’t worth it. So do your best to come to good terms with your bonus family.
3. Finances and gift-giving
Holidays generally mean a lot of expenses: travel, gift-giving, and food preparation to name a few. The pandemic has created a difficult time for the economy and so there is a lot more to worry about in the recent and likely near-future holiday seasons.
To deal with this, make sure you’re aware of your own financial situation. If you’re constantly noticing trends with spending you’ll be able to help cut back on unnecessary things. Don’t take this to a crazy extent though because that in itself can cause more stress.
Get your numbers figured out — use an accountant if you need — and go from there. If you can’t afford the best of the best be realistic with your budget and see what would be a good second best.
4. Work-related stress
Holiday seasons make work more stressful no matter what industry you’re a part of. Everything changes at work for this time of year to accommodate more purchases and the black Friday/Cyber Monday sales.
Learn to separate your work life from your personal life. Once you clock out, leave everything work-related behind you in the office. If you’re feeling overworked, talk to your boss. Your health is more important than any job will ever be. Talking to a therapist can help you learn ways to leave work in the office and not bring it home.
5. Hosting the holiday
Preparing everything for a holiday is a whirlwind of emotions and things to do. You have a never-ending list of:
- Cleaning
- Buying food
- Preparing food
- Decorating
- Accommodating a time that works for everyone’s schedules
- Having things on hand to keep everyone entertained
It never ends!
So to take some things off of your plate, ask everyone to pitch in. Maybe they would be able to bring a certain portion of the meal so you don’t have to cook everything yourself. If it’s too expensive, ask them to help out with finances. If some people are extremely difficult and need to be endlessly entertained, ask them ahead of time what they’d like you to have on hand. Everyone understands that being the host is hard, so if that falls on you, don’t be afraid to ask for some help.
If you aren’t the host, make sure to mind your manners and offer to help where and when you can.
6. Unhealthy food choices
While the food choices may not seem stressful, if you’re trying to be healthy, it can be stressful trying to avoid unhealthy foods. Unhealthy foods and overeating actually can stress out your digestive and immune systems.
So keep an eye on what you eat and be mindful about what you put in your mouth. Make sure you’re reaching for fruits, veggies, and whole grains to keep your digestive system happy.
7. Routine changes
Routine changes are stressful. It’s not easy to get off your normal day-to-day routine and just be fine with it. Try to keep as much normalcy in your routine as you can.
Continue with exercising, drinking water, using the bathroom, and taking time to rest, and being mindful. Keep up with your vitamins and daily supplements (like Atrantil), too. They can help your body get the nutrients it might be missing out on. These little things can make a huge difference in keeping your mind content and reducing stress levels.
If your body and brain are getting the essentials, the rest of the changes can be easier to manage.
Take care of your body. Do the things that make you happy. Avoid stress as much as you can and you’ll be doing your gut, mind, and body a huge favor. What’s your favorite way to reduce stress during the holidays (yoga, meditation, avoiding stress)? Let us know in the comments below!