Climbing ladders, stringing lights, carrying shopping bags, playing hoops…

Getting ready for the Holidays can be stressful on your body, your back, your spine.  Before singing carols with family, is your back healthy enough to lift your tiny tot with great cheer?

 With Holidays around the corner, take a few steps to manage your stress level.  Here are my tips to avoid stress-related back and neck pain.

 1. MANAGE YOUR TIME
There is only so much you can plan and the more you plan the better you can manage last-minute hiccups. Take the time to list out everything you need to do, want to do. Add time to be flexible with your schedule.  If you stay on your schedule and get everything done, then it’s a bonus!  It’s ok if you don’t get everything done, if you plan ahead you may be able to reduce adverse effects, like chronic fatigue, which can lead to muscle and joint pain throughout the body, including the back. Manage your time and you can reduce physical stress and mental exertion.

2. PREPARE EARLY
With the Holidays less than 30 days away, don’t stress. Get your list of gifts and activities ready as soon you can. Wake up early, prepare your week on Sunday evenings, shop for groceries on Friday nights. The earlier you start, the less anxiety you may have, which can prevent panic attacks, high blood pressure, a weakened immune system, and back pain amongst other conditions. Take your list and begin knocking out one task at a time and before you know it you have completed everything on your list. Cheers, to a relaxing Holiday!

3. TAKE IT EASY
Now that you have a schedule and have a head start on your Holiday activities. Break down your day and your week into sub-tasks or smaller tasks. By doing this you will make it easier to accomplish. Need to clean the house or pack for travel? Then clean one room a day or pack one bag day. Prioritize your sub-tasks or smaller tasks by importance, and do those first, then move on to the less-important ones. Reward yourself with a back massage or cider by the fireplace after you accomplish a chunk of smaller tasks.

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4. REST, RELAX and REJUVENATE
Yes, reward yourself or treat your active family to a day of REST and relaxation. By now, you are almost done checking the task list, activities from your preplanned schedule to prepare for visitors, travel and the sorts. It is perfectly fine to do things for others (and they will be most appreciative) but take time to RELAX! Yes, lack of sleep can make your stress worse, it can also make your back pain worse. Take a yoga class, schedule a massage. Get some sleep and REJUVENATE!

5. THINK HEALTHY
Sleep is one way to help reduce stress. To manage your stress level even more, drink plenty of water and prepare healthy meals. Often times we eat “convenience” foods and forget about healthy nutrition. If you are not already a fan of meal prep, become a fan. Make a large batch of food at the beginning of the week and separate into individual, re-heat portion containers. By doing this, you can both reduce stress and cravings that often temp us during the Holidays. Also, make sure to drink plenty of water to stay hydrated. Did you know that dehydration affects the structure in the back, resulting in stiffness and soreness. 

6. BE ACTIVE, BE CALM
Along with healthy sleeps and eats, it is important to keep the body moving. Take a walk or a jog to manage your stress level. Do some activity to help keep your muscles strong and help control your weight during this season. By doing this you can avoid back pain. If taking a jog is not your thing, try a yoga class to strengthen the core and promote spine health.  The slow, controlled breathing of yoga forces you to slow down and relax. Whichever activity you choose, be active, be calm to manage your stress during the Holidays.

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Climbing ladders, stringing lights, chopping wood…Getting ready for family these next few days can be stressful on your body, your back, your spine.  Before watching Bowl Games, is your back healthy enough to keep up with Handyman to-do list?

 With the New Year less than a week away, take a few steps to prevent back injury. Here are our tips to avoid accidents and reduce back pain.
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 1. SCHEDULE PROJECTS
There is only so much you can do as the family handyman. The more you understand your limitations and what is reasonable the better for your projects. It is okay to ask for help. You might want to start scheduling projects (like removing Christmas lights from your home) before the New Year.  Take a few minutes to schedule winter projects in a timely manner so that you can spend time with family without worrying about when to throw out the tree. Whether your projects call for hiring someone to winterize the lawn or clean out the chimney, schedule your projects ahead of time. It’s okay if you don’t get to schedule everything before New Year's Eve. If you plan ahead you may be able to reduce adverse effects, like chronic fatigue, which can lead to muscle and joint pain throughout the body, including the back. Manage your projects and you can reduce physical injury and mental exertion.

2. KEEP HONEY-DO LIST SIMPLE
The New Year is less than one week away! Are you stressing with the Handyman, Honey-Do List? Don’t stress. Write everything down that you need to get done on a long list. Yes, even write things that you plan to delegate to your lawn service. Be reasonable with what you can get done and create a simple list. Let’s just say you have seven tasks in the next week. Well do a task a day. This will keep your focus on multiple tasks and help you “Stay in the Zone”. With one task a day or shorter list, you will see how much more you will get done over the course of the week. By keeping your Handyman list simple, the less anxiety you may have, which can prevent panic attacks, high blood pressure, a weakened immune system, and prevent back injury among other conditions. Take your list and begin knocking out one task at a time and before you know it you have completed everything on your list. Cheers, to a relaxing New Year!

3. AVOID HANDYMAN ACCIDENTS
Now that you have a scheduled your projects and made your Honey-Do List simple, here are tips to keep your project works-pace accident-free. Prevent an accident by preparing your wear and pathways. For instance, if you live where there is ice and snow, get some ice grips for your boots and shoes. These cleats provide traction in mud, snow, ice and other conditions. If you are unsure of which cleats to use we can help or refer you to professionals who can.  You may also want to eliminate slippery conditions on steps, ramps and decks. Solutions to add grit additives or add more traction to your pathways can also prevent a fall and later a back injury.

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