The stress-busting Christmas survival guide from BUPA

29 November 2002

While Christmas is about having a good time, it can so easily turn into a bit of nightmare fuelled by "festive excesses". We've all seen it. Whether it's the extra glass of mulled wine sparking a family argument, the constant onslaught of food or a disastrous liaison at the office party, Christmas can be very stressful.

Now the festive season is here, all of those good habits you've tried to live by throughout the year should not follow Santa Claus up the chimney! You can keep the emphasis on fun and stay healthy by setting yourself realistic expectations and planning in advance with the stress-busting Christmas survival guide from BUPA's assistant medical director, Dr Annabel Bentley.

Family & Friends

The modern extended family, with members dispersed across the country, can cause an extra strain at Christmas when trying to work out how to manage to see everyone. This year cut down the stress by taking time to plan who to visit in advance. Statistics show that calls to the Samaritans and Relate increase both during and after the Christmas period, reflecting the reality that for many families, the image of everyone blissfully gathered around a roaring fire is often not the case.

So, if you're celebrating with a partner try to plan together so that all families involved feel they've had a fair share of your time. Also don't forget to schedule some time for yourself - to recharge your batteries and get away from the "Christmas pressure-cooker" mentality, for example have an evening in together.

Alcohol

It wouldn't feel like Christmas without the numerous invitations to parties, office events and reunions with friends and family. How are you going to prevent the festive season from turning into one long hangover? Not only are there short-term problems resulting from being drunk and doing something you may regret, but there are also long-term health affects from drinking to excess. Most people now know the guidelines for sensible drinking. For women it's no more than two to three units of alcohol per day and for men the guideline is no more than three to four alcohol units per day. The daily benchmarks apply whether you drink everyday, once or twice a week or occasionally.

Remember that one unit of alcohol is equivalent to a small glass of wine, half a pint of standard strength beer or a single measure of sprits such as gin, whisky or vodka. Unfortunately there are three trends that can interfere with monitoring alcohol unit intake. Firstly drinks are getting stronger.

A pint of strong larger, for example Stella Artois contains three units of alcohol and as a rule, lagers and ciders sold in bottles are usually stronger than those sold on draught. Secondly, bars often serve spirits as standard doubles, if in doubt ask the bar staff. Finally, wine glasses are getting larger!

"Binge drinking" has been highlighted by Alcohol Concern as an important factor in the long-term health damage due to alcohol abuse. Also, binge drinking over Christmas will put you at higher risk of accidents, emotional conflict and unsafe sex. But the good news is that there are several ways you can reduce your alcohol intake but still have fun. Try switching to lower alcohol drinks like wine spritzers and don't drink on an empty stomach. Be wary of the party punch as it can be deceptively strong, counter this by having just one glass and then switching to soft drinks or alternating with glasses of water. Find out what works for you and then try to stick to it. Try to pace your alcohol intake to decrease the total units consumed on any one day.

The liver breaks down and eliminates alcohol from the body, and it takes about an hour to deal with one unit. Therefore, the body takes about eight hours to eliminate all the alcohol in four pints of beer. It is important to remember this if you are planning to drive - a couple of pints at lunchtime might mean your driving is still impaired in the early evening and drinking late into the evening can result in being over the limit in the morning.

Food

For many people the thought of roast turkey with all the trimmings, Christmas pudding and the constant temptation of chocolates, make Christmas sound like the ultimate dietary disaster. All those good habits from the rest of the year get thrown out of the window and we subject ourselves to a month of constant snacking and overindulgence.

According to the British Nutrition Foundation, the typical calorie intake for a person on Christmas day is 3,175 calories. This is for a full English breakfast, Christmas dinner with all the trimmings, three glasses of wine, chocolates for the afternoon and Christmas cake and cheese and biscuits to finish off the day. In the short term, eating this amount of food over the holiday season may lead to a few extra pounds but most people will lose this once Christmas is over. However, if you continue to overeat above your requirements and not increase physical activity, then the weight gain will be permanent and there are disease risks associated with being obese. Try to get some exercise into your Christmas day plans, like a brisk walk after lunch to burn up some extra calories. Calories burned during exercise are affected by body weight, intensity of workout, fitness and metabolism. However, as a guide, one hour of moderate walking at 3 miles per hour will burn between 200 - 300 calories.

Actually Christmas food can be a great example of a healthy balanced meal. The traditional turkey is rich in protein and low in fat, especially if you avoid the skin and darker meat. Also, think positive about Brussels sprouts, carrots and parsnips - they're a great way to try and reach the 'five-a-day' advice for fruit and vegetable intake.

Another healthier part of Christmas eating is that we're more likely to sit down and take our time over eating, rather than snacking on the run. So you could think of mealtimes over Christmas as a way of developing healthier habits for the future!

Money

The financial pressures of Christmas are enormous and you can easily find yourself spending way more than you can afford all in the name of the festive spirit. It may sound boring, but be realistic; not everyone has the bank balance of a premiership footballer. Set a budget for presents, socialising and entertaining (and try to stick to it!). Banks don't lend money out of the kindness of their hearts and the long-term costs can soon mount up. No one wants to start the New Year saddled with debt which itself can present a whole source of stress.

Travel

Planning ahead is the key to success for travelling over Christmas. It's a sad fact that despite numerous campaigns 18,000 people a year are either killed or injured by drink-driving, and this is more likely at Christmas. So for travel to and from parties arrange your transport beforehand. Put some cards from reputable local taxi firms in your purse, or better still book your taxi beforehand. If you're planning long journeys to see far-flung relatives don't risk tiredness by travelling at times when you'd usually be asleep. It's also worth considering the statistic from RoSPA (Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents), 95 per cent of all road traffic accidents involve driver error. Therefore it is important to make sure you don't get fatigued.

The RAC Report on Motoring 2001 reveals that a staggering four million British drivers are falling asleep at the wheel every year, putting their own lives and those of other road users at risk. Research suggests that falling asleep while driving plays a part in 20 per cent of motorway accidents, therefore it is important to plan ahead to avoid sleepiness while driving. Get a good night's sleep and make sure you are properly awake before driving. Try to avoid setting off during the "post-lunch" dip a period of decreased awareness between 1pm - 4pm and between midnight - 7am because due to your biological clock, it is difficult to concentrate and maintain awareness during these hours. Consider timetabling rest breaks into your journey - ideally you should have a 15-minute break every two hours, or swap drivers. The RAC advises against driving more than 8 - 10 hours in a single day.

Liaisons!

The constant round of Christmas parties and the cocktail of alcoholic drinks on offer means you are much more likely to get into a sexual situation that you may end up regretting. After the party, the only things you should be planning to take home are happy memories, not a sexually transmitted infection (STI).

The rates of all STIs in the UK are rising, especially amongst young heterosexual women. In particular, the number of cases of Chlamydia infection is rising alarmingly and it is now the most common curable, bacterial, sexually transmitted infection. Chlamydia is usually symptomless, so you can't tell if a sexual partner has it by looking and you also can't tell if you've picked it up. Unfortunately, long-term infection with Chlamydia can result in blocked Fallopian tubes, chronic pelvic pain and infertility. The real tragedy is that it's been estimated that less than 10 per cent of current infections are diagnosed, so a significant number of women remain untreated and are almost certainly building up problems for their future health.

Prepare ahead for the party season by carrying condoms so you can practice safer sex and try to avoid binge drinking - the most likely cause of riskier sexual behaviour.

If you have had unsafe sex and are concerned, the "morning after pill", has to be taken up to 72 hours after unprotected sex to be effective and it is more effective the sooner it is taken. It's on prescription from your GP or it can be bought directly from some pharmacists. Check your phone directory for information about opening hours for pharmacists or your local newspaper should have details.

Then if you are still worried see your GP. It's also important to get a check-up in at a GUM clinic (genitourinary medicine) after unprotected sex to rule out any infection. These clinics are usually in your local NHS hospital or may be stand alone clinics - you can visit them in complete confidentiality and they won't even tell your GP you've been there if you prefer.

BUPA's Dr Bentley's top tips

Once the party's in full swing put into practice your personal strategies for staying sane and healthy.

1) Be realistic - don't try to make everything perfect, there's more to life than the expensive presents and a Nigella-style turkey on the table.

2) Plan ahead - set a realistic budget, plan your social diary and arrange your travel beforehand.

3) Stay healthy - think about a strategy for drinking and eating sensibly, and do what works for you personally.

4) Think ahead for safer sex - carry condoms and particularly avoid binge drinking. If you have been at risk sexually then take action and get a sexual health check up.

5) De-stress - most of all try to relax and have fun, it is meant to be a holiday after all.

See BUPA's 101 tips for a healthy and safe Christmas.