DECEMBER 8, 2021
(Updated November 19, 2024)
Holiday season
Tips for safe and healthy Holidays!
The holiday season is a wonderful time of festivities, traditions and magic. It's a particularly hectic time of year, with a wide variety of activities. In this article, we present the benefits of traditional activities during this festive month. We also offer a few tips on how to celebrate while taking care of your health and safety.
Rituals that are good for you
DECORATING THE HOME
Let yourself go, put up your decorations, take out the tree, decorate it with lights and ornaments, then watch it light up your home and your smile. This touch of enchantment in your home can make you happier and give your heart a little respite.
It's a way of eclipsing the stress and responsibilities of daily life, and bringing back a sense of childhood joy. This reduction in stress and anxiety is good for your heart health. Indeed, when you're tense, your heart works harder and your heart rate is faster. So it's a good idea to reduce them, to lower your risk of cardiovascular disease.
It's even better if you do it while singing and dancing! Singing increases antibody levels and dancing improves blood circulation.
WATCHING CHRISTMAS MOVIES
Holiday movies generally convey a message of hope, positivity and nostalgia. These heart-warming films and series can provide a sense of comfort, improve morale and reduce stress. By making us laugh, comedies like The Grinch lower blood pressure, boost the immune system and reduce stress.
SPENDING TIME WITH LOVED ONES
Dinners and activities with family and friends bring a variety of benefits for mental health and the heart.
Having positive interactions and nurturing quality social connections promotes better cognitive function and helps reduce the wear and tear on the body and brain caused by stress. During activities with friends and family, we're more likely to laugh. Laughter can increase the volume of blood released by the heart and dilate blood vessels, lowering blood pressure. What's more, laughter reduces stress and promotes sleep and general well-being.
PLAYING IN THE SNOW
Put on your snow pants and go out to fill up on vitamin D!
Playing outside, for example by making snowmen, sledging, skating or snowshoeing, helps counteract vitamin D deficiencies caused by lack of daylight. This vitamin intake helps reduce the risk of osteoporosis, heart disease and depression.
In short, in addition to being fun, a minimum of 15 minutes of outdoor activity a day helps you burn off energy, improve your circulation and replenish your vitamin D levels. So it's great for bone, heart and mental health.
FESTIVITIES WITH SAFETY IN MIND
A tree falling on your head, a broken ornament under your foot... what better way to break the mood. In these hectic times, the risks of accidents and injuries are multiplying. Here are a few risks to avoid and how to prevent them.
BUTTON CELLS
When you're out shopping for gifts for your children, grandchildren, or any other youngsters you care about, you may end up choosing electronic toys, greeting cards and musical books.
But beware: some of these toys carry a major risk: button cells. If ingested, the small batteries they contain can cause burns to the esophagus, trachea and main artery. Unfortunately, these injuries can quickly turn fatal.
To prevent this type of incident:
• Buy toys with battery compartments secured by screws.
• Never change batteries in front of your child.
• Store batteries in an inaccessible place.
• If your child accidentally swallows a button cell battery, do not make him vomit, drink or eat. Go immediately to the emergency room.
A TREE FALLING ON YOUR HEAD
Your tree stands proudly in your living room, ready to brighten up your day, but is it properly installed?
The scenario of the tree falling on a family member or guest is not improbable, and certainly not harmless. A natural Christmas tree alone can weigh around 15 kilos. With lights, garlands and ornaments, the weight increases, and so does the risk of injury if it falls on someone.
To prevent this type of incident:
• Mount it on a tripod heavy enough to prevent it from swinging.
• Install it in a place where it won't get in the way.
• If you have animals that tend to climb it, a lighter artificial tree (~3 kilos) would be safer.
• An artificial tree is also less likely to affect your pets' health. The thorns on a natural tree can irritate their mouths and stomachs.
CHRISTMAS GOING UP IN SMOKE
30 seconds is all it takes for a natural Christmas tree to go up in flames. A fire can also be started by unattended candles, an electrical overload or gifts and decorations placed too close to a heat source.
To prevent this type of incident:
• Make sure every detector in your home is working properly.
• Make sure you have everything you need in case of fire, such as fire extinguishers and fire blankets.
• Check your extinguishers regularly to make sure they haven't expired and are fully charged.
• Follow the instructions on light packaging.
• Connect your decorations to power bars equipped with surge protection. But don't overload them.
• Water your natural tree every day.
• Never place your tree, gifts or flammable decorations near a heat source.
• Consider using flameless LED candles instead of traditional wax candles.
• If you do light wax candles, keep them away from anything that can burn, and never leave them unattended.
A BAD FALL
According to the Canadian Institute for Health Information, between 2020 and 2021, more than 40,000 Quebecers ended up in the emergency room because of an accidental fall. Many of these emergency room visits were due to a fall from a ladder or a trip.
To prevent this type of incident:
• If you're climbing a ladder to put up decorations, ask someone to watch and hold it.
• Stand facing the ladder, keep your body centered and maintain three points of support (either two hands and one foot, or both feet and one hand).
• Make sure that electrical wires and decorations don't get in the way.
A SHATTERED ORNAMENT
Of course, this type of accident usually causes only minor injuries, such as cuts. However, if ingested by a child or an animal, a broken ornament fragment can also do much more serious damage.
To prevent this type of incident:
• Secure the tree.
• Choose unbreakable ornaments.
• Use a string rather than a hook to hold them in place.
• If you have fragile ornaments, place them out of reach and tie them securely.
TOXIC DECORATIONS
Holly, mistletoe and poinsettia are popular decorative plants around the holidays. However, they are also toxic. If ingested, they can cause symptoms of varying severity, depending on the quantity consumed. More specifically:
Holly berries
Small quantities (1 or 2 berries) may cause minor digestive problems. Larger quantities can cause vomiting, severe salivation, diarrhea and convulsions. These berries can also cause serious digestive problems in pets, as well as neurological disorders such as drowsiness or coma.
Mistletoe
In small quantities, mistletoe will not necessarily cause symptoms, but may cause minor digestive disorders (e.g. diarrhea and vomiting). However, in larger quantities, ingestion of mistletoe leaves and berries can cause severe cardiac symptoms (e.g., low blood pressure and heart rhythm disorders). This plant is toxic, even fatal, to domestic animals and grazing herbivores (cows, sheep, horses, etc.).
Poinsettia
It can cause minor digestive problems in children. However, symptoms are more serious in pets (digestive disorders, excessive salivation, etc.).
To prevent this type of incident:
• Choose artificial plants.
• If you prefer natural plants, make sure you keep them out of reach of children and pets.
Festive and trouble-free celebrations
Whether you're the host of the party or a guest, there are certain precautions you should take to make sure you have nothing but fond memories of celebrating with your loved ones. Here are a few tips to make sure your festivities don't end up in hospital.
KEEP THE PATH CLEAR
Make sure the space is clear of any objects that could cause a guest to trip. For example, store boots and coats in a sensible place, out of the way (e.g. bath or wardrobe). Otherwise, in the hustle and bustle of the party, a child, a grandparent or a guest who's a little tipsy could trip and hurt themselves.
WATCH OUT FOR THE PRYING LITTLE HANDS
The same goes for curious little snouts.
Make sure children and pets are well supervised at all times. With the hustle and bustle of the party, it can be easy for a child or pet to injure themselves or ingest something they shouldn't have. For example, a small toy, a button battery or a small decoration can cause choking and, depending on what is ingested, relatively serious internal damage.
What's more, if a child accidentally consumes alcohol, even in small quantities, the consequences can be very serious, even fatal. It can rapidly lower blood sugar levels. Hypoglycemia can lead to convulsions and coma, as the brain does not receive enough glucose. If blood sugar levels drop too low, the result can be fatal.
In short, make sure that glasses of alcohol are kept out of reach. In case of accidental ingestion, call your regional Poison Control Center if you're unsure, or go to the emergency room if there's a risk of alcohol poisoning.
MAKE SURE EVERYONE STAYS OUT OF THE KITCHEN
An overcrowded kitchen can be the cause of easily preventable accidents, such as burns, cuts or a foot crushed by a fallen dish. Despite their willingness to help, it's important to make sure guests understand that access to the kitchen is restricted to those responsible for the meal.
Of course, this doesn't mean leaving the kitchen unattended while the meal is being prepared. If you're in charge, it can be difficult to reconcile meal preparation, hosting and entertaining. Make sure there's always someone to help you in the kitchen.
BE PREPARED FOR THE UNEXPECTED
Of course, an accident is an unpredictable event that can happen despite all the precautions you take. Make sure you have a first-aid kit on hand with everything you need in case of injury. If you have guests with allergies, make sure they have an epinephrine auto-injector (e.g. EpiPen), or get one to keep in your kit.
First aid
Essential preparation
The best way to celebrate with peace of mind is to be able to intervene if an incident occurs. Learning the basics of first aid is just a few hours of your time that could make all the difference. Don't wait until you're caught off guard, learn what to do in case of injury today with our online, self-guided training courses!
Written by Laurie Levesque, Content Creator, and Emilie Bedard, Communications Manager.
Edited, illustrated and formatted by Emilie Bedard.