Despite the joyous festivities and celebrations surrounding us during the winter season, some of us may feel the holiday blues. Perhaps it’s due to lack of sleep and stress from the extra activity, overeating and drinking, stress from overspending or not being able to afford gifts for friends and family, social isolation, and so on. So how do you cope with these bouts of depression? Spend time with loved ones
While most of us have lots of parties and gatherings both at work and at home during the holidays, the elderly are often more socially isolated. Schedule some time with your senior loved ones. You will both have a good time. If that is not possible, try companion care by home caregivers. Avoid overscheduling You may be inundated with party invitations, or busy with preparing your own celebrations, turn down some of these activities and save some down time for yourself to rest, and get plenty of sleep. If necessary, get sleeping aids from your trusted local pharmacy. Get a work out Exercise will get your heart rate up and release mood-boosting endorphins to chase out the holiday blues. Working out in the outdoors with outdoor fitness equipment or playing a basketball game will bring wonderful physical, mental and social benefits. A quick 10 minute walk in the neighborhood can do the trick, too, especially when you feel overwhelmed and just need to take a break to relax. Avoid overeating and drinking We often eat and drink too much at parties. This can affect your mood and overall well-being. To avoid overeating, fill up on vegetables before going to a party. And if you still end up eating too much, get relief from digestive medicines — make sure you have those stocked up at home. Be organized Holiday preparations can be overwhelming. Make a to-do list. Keep everything simple. Set reasonable expectations for activities such as shopping, cooking, entertaining, sending holiday cards and gifts, going to parties, etc., and set aside specific days for them. You can save time by shopping online. Don’t forget time saving services such as house-cleaning and laundry delivery service. Set a budget It’s easy to overextend yourself financially for presents and parties. Don’t try to buy happiness with gifts. This will bring a lot of stress and anxiety. Instead set a budget and stick to it. Try giving homemade gifts, or donate to a charity in someone’s name. Volunteer Helping others can also be very helpful for you, too. There are plenty of volunteer opportunities during the holidays. For example, you might try
Relax Take a break when you feel stressed. Listen to some music at home. Go to the park and read a book on a park bench. If you can’t shake out the blues, you might wish to see a doctor and get some prescribed medication or other treatment, especially if your sadness stays even after the holidays are over. If you feel like you haven’t spent enough time enjoying this fantastic season yet this year, don’t worry. We have just four simple and enjoyable ways to help you get outside and in that amazing New England fall foliage! 1. Take Your Exercise Outdoors We all know how important it is to exercise our bodies — especially those of us who have jobs requiring us to sit down and stare at a computer all day. But, more often than not, motivating ourselves to get out, go to the gym, and do a workout is not nearly as enjoyable as we’d like it to be. Luckily, there is an easy solution that allows you to both exercise and enjoy the fall weather simultaneously! You can try walking or biking on one of Massachusetts’ rail trails if you tend to enjoy walking, running, biking, or other more aerobic activities.
If, on the other hand, you’re more of a gym-equipment type, you could still take advantage of the beautiful fall season by going to a park with outdoor fitness equipment such as cardio walkers, sit-up benches and vertical ladders. Many communities in Boston offer outdoor gyms where you can easily mesh your workout time with some much-needed outdoor time. Find one in your neighborhood here. Exercising keeps you healthy and saves the time and costs of doctor’s visits and medicines from your neighborhood pharmacy, not to mention the pains of illness. 2. Take A Trip to the Park with Your Kids Maybe bringing your exercise routine outside doesn’t sound great to you, or perhaps you simply would rather make your outdoor time family time. If you’ve got kids (who probably can’t get enough of being outside in the fall), a nice family trip to the park might be an excellent option for you. There are parks all over the city — from smaller parks in residential neighborhoods to larger, more public parks — and you can be sure to find one that is just right for you and your family. Your children can enjoy the slides, swings, climbers, play structures, and when they are hungry, you can serve healthy sandwiches in a picnic shelter or on the lawn. 3. Go on a Walk with Your Parents Speaking of family, don’t forget about your parents! A quick visit to your parent’s home can not only make their entire week but also help them enjoy the beautiful weather outside. As we age, it can get more challenging (or less desirable) for us to go out and walk around, but it is still crucial for our bodies to get movement. So, stop by your parents and get them to go out on a little walk with you to enjoy the fall foliage. If you are genuinely too busy, you can also hire an in-home caregiver to do this, so they can still get out and move around before it gets too cold. 4. Go Camping If you’re a camping fan or have an RV, you can completely immerse yourself in the stunning New England fall foliage by heading to a campground. Even if you’ve never tried it before, you can find a perfect leaf-peeping campground that will have you enjoying the fall season in no time! Make sure you bring a propane tank for heating and cooking while you’re there so you can enjoy some lovely warm beverages and delicious camp cooking! The fall season is arguably the most beautiful season in Boston. With the colorful and vibrant fall foliage, crisp weather, and delicious warm treats and beverages, most of us look forward to this time of the year. But, it can be all too easy to miss out on the glorious season if we’re busy with work and classes or even distracted by our screens. So, take advantage of the four activities listed above, and don’t miss out on this beautiful season! If you are new to Natick or nearby areas, and wondering where the best playgrounds are to take your kids, there are a lot of obvious but also hidden gems when it comes to fun play areas or maybe even playgrounds that would be fantastic for holding birthday parties. Chances are you are also looking to meet new folks and striking up a conversation with a fellow parent can be a low-pressure interaction at a playground when you know everyone’s just there to hang out and have fun. My kids love the play structures at Loker Park situated at the corner of Walnut and Bacon Streets. The main play structure has a very prominent rainbow color tunnel slide coming off of it which is how Loker Park became known in our house as the Tunnel Playground! There are also climbing walls that go up to the main play structure that has a little bridge and another cute tunnel tube for younger kids to hide in. This playground also has a basketball court off to the side for older kids and a fabulous hill that gradually slopes down to a large field. In the summer when the grass is thick and soft, my kids will often roll down the slope. It’s great fun and if they happen to be wearing lighter color clothes and get grass stains on them, it’s nothing that a trip to the dry cleaner can’t fix! The summer months are so short, I’ll often indulge them a bit.
Another playground we love is the Hannah Williams Playground! We love this playground for its convenience to Starbucks, Einstein Bros Bagels and a few other eateries right near the intersection. You could easily pick up some lunch and then head to the gazebo within the park to eat in the shade. The kids can roam around the playground after lunch. One of the neat things about this playground is that you’ll often see old ridables and dump trucks that families have donated for reuse. It’s a great way to reduce plastic waste and the kids love them! The John J. Lane playground is in our top 3 for a reason! It has a wide variety of spaces for all kinds of activities. What you’ll see when you first walk into the park is the huge boulder and spider web-like climbing structures. Then off to the right, you’ll see the slides and swing set. From here the paved circular walkway leads off and is great for little kids to ride their bikes or even roller skate. Instead of continuing on the circular walkway back to the play structures, go towards the woods and you’ll see a few outdoor fitness equipment situated at the entrance of the nature walk. The nature walk and play area in the back of the park is closer to the woods and lake and is quite shady so you’ll definitely want to be prepared with bug spray. However, what we love best are the sand volleyball courts! It’s so fun to practice setting and bumping and pretend we’re playing beach volleyball at the summer Olympics! The best part is that there’s even a covered pavilion with picnic tables that’s terrific for holding birthday parties. Simply order pizza for delivery there or bring your own food, cake, and fly some helium balloons to create a festive mood. Party stores usually provide helium for balloons. You can get your balloons filled there. |
Archives
March 2023
|