Conquer the Holidays: Jade Williams on Maintaining Mental & Physical Wellness

How would you like to experience a stress-free, healthier holiday season? Imagine relishing the holiday festivities without compromising your wellness - that's what we aim to help you achieve today. We're delighted to have Jade Williams, our in-house wellness guru, back on the Veronica Edwards Show, helping us navigate through the holiday season without jeopardizing our health or wallets. From setting financial boundaries to choosing experiences over materialistic gifts and keeping yourself engaged in physical activities, Jade lends us her insights. We also discuss the less-discussed, yet profoundly important, need for rest. It's all about listening to your body and striking that balance between rejuvenation and celebration.

In the second half, we turn the spotlight onto mental health, which can often take a hit during the holidays. Remember, it's perfectly okay to seek help, and there's no need to feel isolated or ashamed if you're struggling. Jade offers a toolkit of coping strategies to help us stay afloat, including therapy, spending quality time with loved ones, and exploring new activities. As we bid adieu to the year, Jade also shares some handy tips for maintaining overall health and wellness, such as balanced eating, staying hydrated, and setting attainable goals. Don't wait for a New Year's resolution to make positive changes - why not start now? Come join us, and let's make this holiday season both joyful and healthful together.

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Transcript

Veronica: 0:38

Welcome to the Veronica Edwards Show, where we have fun financial conversations that everyone listening can apply to their personal and professional life. I'm your host, veronica Edwards, and excited, as always, to be back season three here on biz radio dot US v team. Thank you so much for continuing to listen live and download the podcast. We so appreciate the support leading into season four. We are approaching 4000 downloads, so we might, you know, go viral with this episode because this is one of my favorite quarterly segments, our health and wellness segment. Eat, sleep, move your feet with our amazing in house wellness guru, miss Jade Williams. Welcome back, jade.

Jade: 1:24

Thank you for having me again.

Veronica: 1:26

Absolutely and always. I like to give the disclaimer that Jade is a national board certified health and wellness coach, and a health coach is a guide and mentor who empowers you and provides ongoing support and guidance as you set goals and make sustainable changes that improve your health and happiness. So we so need more people like yourself, jade, especially in our culture. Being brown girls, black girls and you know just so many times I feel like we get all the stuff you know like everything is like it's going to happen.

Veronica: 2:00

It's going to happen. So I like it's so important to continue to have these segments. I appreciate you making the time out of your busy schedule, as Jade is also going back and is in school currently. We're just talking about that. You'll be graduating in 2024. So please again, tell us what your masters is going to be in and what you're trying to do with that before we get started.

Jade: 2:19

Well, I'm getting my degree in public health, so I will finish in May of next year. So almost home stretch.

Veronica: 2:28

Yes, down cannot wait to be done.

Jade: 2:31

Yes.

Veronica: 2:33

Wonderful. Well, today this show is going to air right after Thanksgiving, so we thought the timing would be perfect. We're going to be doing a big meeting to discuss healthy holiday season, holistic things that we could be doing for our mind, body and also financially, because I do feel like during this time of the year we're stressing about spending for the holidays, we're eating a lot, drinking like, doing a lot of things that we typically don't do, and every year we know it's coming Jade, but we stress ourselves out. We do all this stuff. So please tell us some things that we can do to make this holiday season a healthy one.

Jade: 3:12

Yeah, well, I think you know, first, it's important to kind of take stock in terms of what the holidays usually are like for you. You know a lot of us it's a stressful time. It can be an overwhelming time for a lot of people. You know we also have to remember, you know the holidays aren't necessarily merry and cheerful for everybody. It can also be a really sad and a really lonely time. So, kind of just taking stock, what are the holidays generally like for you?

Jade: 3:36

Maybe you feel like you overindulge a little bit. Maybe it's drinking a little too much, like you said, maybe it's spending a little bit too much and then thinking about what we might want to do differently. So you know, for this holiday season, maybe it's I want to actually have a budget for how much I'm going to spend. Or maybe I want to rethink the holidays and do something a little outside of the box. So you know, maybe doing homemade gifts instead of spending. You know, maybe thinking about physical activity and you know, after having dinners together, going for a walk as a family. How can we continue to prioritize health, healthy habits, in the midst of the busyness of the holiday season? So remembering to eat well balanced meals, of course, a lot of times traveling can impact your immune system. We're in flu season and all of that too, so it's important to continue to prioritize how we're nourishing ourselves through the busyness and the stress of the holiday season.

Veronica: 4:34

Definitely. And one thing that you added to you know, with my accounting head on, when talking about spending and being stressed out, I found and we're doing it this year a lot of people are saying you know, we're not doing presents, we're doing experiences.

Jade: 4:47

You know like hey, let's go camping.

Veronica: 4:49

Let's visit a lot of family members. My son's eight years old. I can and he loves arts and crafts, if I have him personally make something for my family members. You would have thought that it was a million dollars, you know. So don't feel like you have to spend money. Just be thoughtful and also start thinking about the experience side of things. I know not, for some people they're like it's even more expensive for me to travel or do this or do that. But again, just remember the reason for the season and not to get stressed out, because it's not meant for it to be a stressful thing. It's a time of Thanksgiving.

Jade: 5:21

Exactly, absolutely. I love, I love that there seems to be this shift now from the going overboard with buying things to having experiences together. I think that's that's beneficial for our well-being also.

Veronica: 5:34

Absolutely. Now, jade, I have a question for you when it comes to some of these healthy habits so you know it's a saying within our culture. I'm not going to, you know, say the exact term where you know, after we eat, we get a little sleepy, yeah, and we want to rest. Is that a bad thing to do? You know we talk about how sometimes we don't rest enough and that's necessary. Like you said, during flu season, covid is still rampant and all over the place. So what is a reasonable amount of rest? And when we are consuming some of these items you mentioned, go ahead and walk first. Is it not good practice in general to just eat and then sleep?

Jade: 6:11

Well, generally, you don't want to eat and then immediately go to sleep.

Jade: 6:14

I mean, you know, of course there are some people who do that and it is about finding that balance and also listening to your body.

Jade: 6:20

So, yes, we want to prioritize rest, we want to prioritize sleep, but we also want to make sure that we're getting movement and activity in as well.

Jade: 6:28

So it's really just kind of figuring out what that balance is for you. And it might be different, it might look differently for different people, but just knowing that, especially during these stressful seasons, a lot of times, you know, exercise routines and regimens can be one of the first things to go outside of the window. So, thinking about how we can continue to prioritize movement, even if it's, you know, no, I don't have time for an hour long workout during this season, but maybe I can go for a couple of short walks around the block or, you know, just getting up, like for me, for example. I work at my desk. I'm sitting for hours, so sometimes just getting up and getting a pair of dumbbells and just doing some lunges up and down the hallway in my house, just to incorporate a little bit more movement into my routine. So figuring out what that might look like in this season, and then also figuring out what rest and recharge looks like as well, because they're all important.

Veronica: 7:26

Rest and recharge. I'm writing that down, because that's so important I think we really forget about. We need rest. We need rest. You know everything that we ate for the day. We need rest for our brain. We just need to rest and I think sometimes we just run so hard that we forget that it's okay to unplug and take a break.

Jade: 7:47

Exactly, and for us you know our society we are just very on the go nonstop, and so it can be like we can feel bad sometimes for taking a break. Right which we should Right, we definitely need that.

Veronica: 8:01

So I definitely just wanted to touch a little bit on the mental health side and we're definitely giving the disclaimer that me and Jade are not licensed therapists by any means necessary. But with talking about health and wellness, I definitely wanted to bring up the fact of sad seasonal affective disorder, which is a type of depression that comes with the season. So you have a lot of people where it's kind of like late fall, early winter, and then it kind of goes away when it becomes warmer and daylight, saving time and all that. But this seasonal affective disorder affects 10 million Americans and it's four times more common in women than men and I didn't research to see. I'm sure it's more of us black girls and brown girls than everybody else.

Veronica: 8:44

So we definitely wanted to talk about that just for a little bit, because some of those symptoms are like depression, not resting enough, feeling lethargic, overeating, irritable, feeling down, not wanting to be sociable, all the things that we're saying no during this holiday season, thanksgiving time please be around family, try to get outside, try not to overeat Jade. How would you say some ways that for from a health and wellness standpoint, that folks can manage that type of seasonal disorder?

Jade: 9:16

Yeah, well, definitely For any sort of whether it's seasonal affective disorder, whether it's depression, anxiety I always encourage people don't hesitate to reach out for professional support, don't hesitate to reach out for counseling. There's so many resources out there now BetterHelp, you can go on psychologytodaycom. I personally have used both of those platforms when I've needed some support. So I think some of this there's still stigma sometimes around mental health, but I know it's lessening. So don't be afraid or feel ashamed if you do need some support. Of course, during the season, yes, reaching out to those that you trust, your friends, your family. Of course that can be difficult. When you are feeling a little bit more depressed, it can be hard to take that step, to reach out. So I think it's also important for us to be aware of the people in our social circle. Maybe noticing somebody seems a little bit more withdrawn this normal than normal.

Veronica: 10:14

Or you know.

Jade: 10:15

I haven't heard from this person in a while. So also just not being afraid to reach out to check in on the people around us. Especially going into the season, that can be a little bit more challenging for people.

Veronica: 10:27

Yeah, I'm definitely that friend where I love to, when I do have time to text and call and check in on my friends, and it always warms my heart when people say wow, I really needed that. Because we can get into our own little bubble site.

Jade: 10:42

Well, someone's already called me or I'm always reaching out to that person, but it's not about that.

Veronica: 10:46

You know, like you never know what people are going through Exactly, and it doesn't hurt to just say, hey, just thinking about you, hope you're having a good day. You know, send a nice little inspirational note you know I like to do that sometimes and just try to create that mindset that. You know, hey, yeah, this time of the year I might get a little bit down, but what we don't want you guys listening to do is just to waddle in it. You know, like have that moment, but then find ways that you can kind of shift as much as you can, if it's like you said, with therapy and a support group, spending time with family during the holiday time. But just don't isolate yourself or feel ashamed if you're having those feelings Because, like I said, there's 10 million other Americans out here and that's what's just reported.

Jade: 11:33

So who knows how many more people are affected by this. Yes, yes, it's common. So, yes, not something to be ashamed of and then other things to do that can be supportive of movement. Being outside, having that exposure to daylight, it's really important. That helps to boost serotonin, which can help you feel just a little bit happier, a little bit lighter. Trying something new, new hobbies, being active. When I've had seasons of being really just struggling with depression, volunteering is something that has been helpful for me.

Veronica: 12:08

Yes.

Jade: 12:09

A few years ago I started volunteering at a horse rescue and I did that for a couple of years, and one it's being outside, it's doing something outside of myself that really just helped me out of a challenging time. So don't be afraid to try something new. Pick a new hobby, a new sport, new activity. That can be helpful as well.

Veronica: 12:31

I totally agree with that, with volunteering and realizing you know, hey, there's other people or that's going through things similar to me or even worse, and you know, just giving back to your community or spending time, like you said, in the horse rescue, being outside. For me, I have found in the last two years I've been working at the church school that my son used to attend and I've always worked in the corporate world. So to go to a job and kids just run up to you and give you a hug, I'm like, oh my gosh, and I feel like a lot of times a hug can just brighten up your day and, like you see, with the serotonin. So I also recommend people spend time with some young people. Yeah, it's say the craziest things you know like and not saying you gotta be around kids all day long.

Veronica: 13:14

Get to pick up your germs and all the bad stuff. But you know, switch it up some and spend time with positive energy and you know just something that's going to brighten up your day. So, jay, before we go, I always like for you to give us some tips, and because this will be airing end of November and we're going into New Year's, I'm so anti New Year's resolutions.

Jade: 13:41

I'm so, I'm right, I'm with you, but but however, comma we would like some, you know, simple lifestyle changes.

Veronica: 13:48

What are some things that we can do to be living better, health and wellness wise going into 2024?

Jade: 13:55

Yes. So I and I won't say that I'm necessarily anti New Year's resolutions, but I don't see the point necessarily waiting for a date to start implementing healthy changes. So so it's helpful to start to start thinking now. What are some things that we want to do through the holiday season and then into the new year? So, of course, balance eating you know we talk about this all the time, balance eating and what that might look like, and it can be a little bit challenged as we're in the holiday season or getting ready to go into the holiday season and wanting to, you know, still enjoy ourselves and, you know, eat the comfort foods and all that. So really figuring out what that balance is going to look like.

Jade: 14:31

So being able to enjoy ourselves without overindulging. And you know, just some tips For example, if you are somebody that you do feel like you overindulge a lot, it might be doing something as simple as just eating on a smaller plate than normal to cut down the amount that you're going to be eating. So drinking some water before a meal just to make you know you feel up, fill up a little bit more before you sit down to have a meal, and then, of course, you know we talk about hydration, so making sure that primarily, you're hydrating with water and hopefully you know that might also help with, you know, not overindulging it on alcohol, which can be easy to do during the holidays as well. So so, figuring out, in terms of eating, how to enjoy yourself, but how to do it in a way that's still balanced and that still is going to be nourishing and supportive.

Veronica: 15:18

Absolutely. You know, it makes me think about growing up so many times for Thanksgiving. We would say I'm not eating anything all day, yeah. So I get to Thanksgiving at three or four o'clock and then you just want to pop yeah, because I'm doing, you know, and then we got this to eat for like the whole weekend. So I love that you said balanced eating.

Jade: 15:38

Yes, yes, what else?

Veronica: 15:39

you got for us.

Jade: 15:40

Yes, of course movement. So what might that look like? I would still encourage people, try to do. Try to move some way meaningfully most days of the week. If you can't do it every day, of course that makes sense, but trying more. Try to be active more days than you're not active.

Veronica: 16:02

I like that you made it so simple. I feel like we put so much pressure on ourselves, like I have to work out three to five times a week after this much water, after this, like no, just do something you know, something is better than nothing. Yes, because I'm an accountant and I'm on my computer all the time and I feel like I've heard a comment before that you know, sitting down all day is like the new smoking of cigarettes, it's not good for you.

Veronica: 16:26

So a lot of people have the stand up desk, or now I'll sometimes go. You know I'll stand up during my meetings or I'm walking around or I'm sitting outside during my, just switching up the scenery. So I'm not sitting at the same table in the same chair all day long, absolutely, and that's 100%.

Jade: 16:44

So move, we got to move. Our bodies are created to move and most of us are not moving enough. So figuring out how to incorporate, even if it's like I said earlier, just like those little pockets of movement throughout the day, Absolutely.

Jade: 16:59

And then also, of course, holiday season. They're stressful, so thinking about stress management and what that might look like. So for some people that might be doing some journaling, doing some some meditation, having a gratitude practice. So whatever stress management might look like, trying to prioritize that during the holiday season. And then self care kind of falls into that as well. So self care, practicing saying no. You don't have to go to all of the events during the Okay to say no. I know that's so challenging for so many people, but practicing saying no, having time for yourself, you know, having that anytime so you can recharge. For me, self-care is turning my phone off. I will have a day where my phone is off, girl.

Veronica: 17:46

Yes oh, I'm trying to get to that. Recently I've been unplugging, so I'll have my phone on the weekends but I'll say like I'm not really making, I'm not calling people. Or somebody calls, I might text them and like ham, just, and everyone's kind of been respectful for that, but kind of trying to build those boundaries because, like I said, I am that social little friend and I'm checking up on everybody, but I have to, like you said, rest and recharge, right. So I absolutely agree with that.

Jade: 18:14

Yeah, yeah. And then, lastly, enjoy yourself. It's, you know, it's Tis, the season, it you know. Enjoy it. Your loved ones reaching out to connect with you, know, your loved ones, or even new people. So really enjoying this season for what it is.

Veronica: 18:29

Jade, we so appreciate you, as always. Again, I have to always shout out mommy, you're her favorite.

Jade: 18:37

Dorothy.

Veronica: 18:37

Vaughan, dorothy missed that. Yes, she loves you, but I love you too. We all do. We get so much great feedback about this and we want to continue promoting this, so thank you for making the time. I want to thank all of the listeners for tuning in to this radio dot US. Please come back next week. Same time, same place, 10 am On Wednesdays for the Veronica Edward show, and if you miss the live airing, you can listen to all prior shows. Veronica Edwards, that buzz sprout comm. So everyone please be safe out here during the holiday season.

Jade: 19:09

Happy holidays oh.