Thanksgiving is a fantastic time for people to come together with loved ones, but it can be stressful too. Setting up, cooking, cleaning, staying up late, breaking diets, and more are all parts of Thanksgiving that we do not always pay attention to until the next day when we really feel it. 

So how can you best take care of yourself without missing out on holiday fun? Check out some of our top tips to help you recover!

Bloating

We all suffer from it at some point or another. Thanksgiving is a holiday that does many of us in, as we eat meals that are rich in insoluble fiber, dairy, and sweetener alternatives, all of which are known to make people feel bloated. While they taste amazing, you can feel incredibly uncomfortable later on, or even the next day, so take care of yourself as soon as possible so you can go back to feeling right. 

The first and most important step is to make sure that you are hydrated. It might mean a few more trips to the bathroom but being hydrated is a great way to encourage your body to let go of excess fluids that are making you uncomfortable. With your water, make sure that you are eating a fiber-rich breakfast to help clear out anything that the water cannot get on its own. You should look for soluble fibers, such as apples, bananas, and oats, as they will encourage the body to release the remaining food from the night before instead of holding out for nutrients. 

Additionally, light cardio for about 30 minutes can do wonders for your digestive tract. If you are feeling bloated or even just generally uncomfortable after a large meal, such as those you might have at Thanksgiving, then taking a long walk, a brisk job, or even a bike ride will help the body start moving the digestive process along. 

Soreness

Cooking, cleaning, and playing can all take a toll on the body, especially if it is more than the body is used to. Follow these tips to relieve your soreness as soon as possible:

• Gentle Stretching: make sure to stretch slowly and thoroughly to ensure that your muscles are nice and loose throughout the day instead of knotted and tight.
• Ice/Heat: swap between heat and ice on areas that are very sore to encourage the muscle to loosen up.
• Muscle Massage
• Hydrate: your body uses water to protect your joints and muscles, but dehydration will lead the body to pull fluid from your tissues, leading to body aches and pains.
• Rest!

Exhaustion

Changing up your schedule for one day may not seem like it should exhaust you, but it can absolutely take its toll. Taking your body away from a set schedule and spending heavy amounts of energy on something new is certainly more than enough to make you want to sleep in the next morning.

Instead of putting off the start of your day, get started as early as you normally would. Try to slip back into your normal routine as best you can so that your body can feel comfortable with familiar actions. Throughout the day, try to avoid caffeine, excessive alcohol, or high sugars, as they will lead to spikes and drops in your energy that can make falling asleep at the end of the night more difficult. Additionally, look to each multiple small snacks throughout the day instead of large meals as those will give you energy without the post-meal sleepiness.

Beyond moving and eating, you want to stay mentally active. It is tempting to relax with a movie, but talking with friends, family, and guests is much more likely to keep you awake without further exhausting you, like an active workout might. 

However you choose to recover is up to you! All we can wish is that you had a wonderful Thanksgiving with your loved ones that made any soreness, bloating, or exhaustion entirely worth it. 

If Thanksgiving has you motivated to make a change, check out our job board here or send us an updated resume here to speak with a specialized recruiter about our healthcare job opportunities.