Staying Well During the Festive Season: Working with Your GP to Protect Your Health
Why Planning Your Health Matters at this Time of Year
You experience changes in routine during the festive season—busier schedules, travel, celebrations, disrupted sleep, and sometimes more stress than usual. These changes influence energy, mood, chronic conditions, and how you manage medicines, appointments, and daily habits. A thoughtful approach to your health helps you enjoy celebrations while reducing unnecessary risk.
Keeping Long-Term Conditions Steady
If you live with chronic conditions such as diabetes, asthma, heart disease, mental health concerns, sleep apnoea, or chronic pain, planning ahead supports stability. Checking prescriptions, ensuring you have enough medicines, and understanding how to manage flare-ups prevents urgent last-minute care. If you travel, keeping an updated medication list and emergency plan helps you stay safe. Your GP can also guide you on heat, alcohol, food changes, activity, and rest in a way that suits your condition.
Supporting Your Mental and Emotional Health
The festive season feels joyful for some and emotionally heavy for others. You may face loneliness, grief, financial stress, family tension, or pressure to “cope well.” These experiences affect sleep, appetite, mood, anxiety levels, and how you function. You deserve support. Speaking with your GP about mood, stress, or emotional load offers a private space to talk, plan support, and discuss care options if needed. Crisis supports remain available if situations feel overwhelming.
Staying Safer With Alcohol, Food, and Sleep
Celebrations often involve richer foods, alcohol, late nights, and reduced routine. Alcohol affects judgement, sleep quality, mental health, heart rhythm, blood pressure, and medicines. Overeating or irregular meals may affect digestion, blood sugar, and comfort. Sleep disruption increases irritability, fatigue, and risk. Aim for balance—hydrate well, pace alcohol intake if you drink, keep some structure to meals, and prioritise rest where possible.
Infections, Travel, and Practical Health Care
Holiday gatherings increase exposure to respiratory viruses. Vaccination, good hygiene, and staying home when unwell protect vulnerable people. If you travel, ensure you know how to access care where you go and check any health alerts relevant to your destination. If you have higher health risk, ask your GP about medicines, prevention steps, and what to do if you become unwell while away.
How Your GP Helps You Prepare and Stay Supported
Your GP remains a partner in planning care, reviewing medicines, updating referrals, arranging vaccinations, and discussing mental health or physical symptoms before they escalate. Discuss appointments early, as clinics may experience seasonal demand. Your GP helps you balance enjoyment with health priorities so you feel confident, supported, and prepared.
This information supports understanding and does not replace personalised medical advice. Please speak with your GP for guidance suited to your health, family, and festive plans.