While we all like to think that we are busy, nothing quite compares to what Santa Claus must be experiencing! After a whole year preparing, it’s almost time for Santa, the elves, the reindeer and Mrs Claus to show us what they have been up to. As Santa’s family GP, it might be time to give some advice to Santa to help him get through this busy time of year:
- Don’t be too sedentary – use the sit-stand function of the sleigh, take breaks from work regularly (every 1 hour or so) and find a way to get in 30 minutes’ walking 5 days per week, despite the heavy workload.
- Be conscious of your food choices – try to have more of the reindeer food that is left out (carrots, etc), rather than the sweet snacks – given his weight, it is important that Santa doesn’t have a further weight blowout this year.
- Don’t over-indulge in adult beverages – Santa has a lot of deliveries to make this year, and having good concentration is essential so that presents get delivered to the right houses and there are no accidents.
- Make time for the ones you love – Santa and Mrs Claus are very busy again this year, but it is important that they make time for each other – perhaps Santa could use the Bluetooth function on his sleigh to keep in touch with Mrs Claus and his family
- Remember that it has been a big year for everyone – we have all had such big years and can be prone to getting worked up – the true gift of Christmas is kindness to those we know and those we don’t.
Thanks to Santa and Mrs Claus for all their efforts this Christmas!
Dr Cath Hester and Dr Tony Bayliss
These articles are not intended to replace a one-to-one relationship with a qualified health professional or as specific medical advice. They are intended as a sharing of knowledge and information from experience and research in the scientific literature. I encourage you to make your own health care decisions based upon a partnership with a qualified health care professional.