Holiday Stress Relief

The holidays can be a stressful time for anyone.  Christmas shopping, holiday parties, traffic, visiting relatives, social obligations, travel and food conflicts are a few of the notable causes of stress this time of year.  Relax, help is on the way.  Take a few moments to read and try these 8 tips for relieving the stress of the season.  

• Set Priorities - Create a list and put the high priority items first, the low priority items can be done later and if not, they weren't that important anyway.  Maybe those list items don't really need to be done or can be accomplished after the holidays.  Try to pare down what can be an already overwhelming list.


• Plan Ahead - Think about what your day or week already looks like so you can allot time for yourself to eat a healthy meal or squeeze in some exercise.  often times, we can be overly ambitious about time management for meals or exercise.  Try to set smaller goals, if you have 10 minutes, have a snack and take time for a meal later, take a quick walk or build that walk into an errand that needs to be done.  Come to accept that after the holidays you can re-dedicate time to meal planning and exercise.


• Lighten the Load - Delegate tasks as much as possible, you don't have to do it all.  Try not to be the control everything and allow others to help with some of your tasks.  However, set expectations, not everyone accomplishes tasks the same way you do.  Reduce the number of gifts you exchange, perhaps find other ways to give with shared time.  Schedule some outings with friends and family after the holidays.  Additionally, it's a great way to extend the holiday celebrations.  A perfect example of lightening the load is the family that draws names for Christmas gifts instead of each person having to buy a gift for every member of the family.  How many pairs of socks and sweaters do you really need?


• Don't Go Hungry - Don't become the grumpy child that hasn't had their snack.  Low blood sugar is a bummer, it makes you tired, low energy and unable to think clearly.  Feed your brain!  In addition, it leads to making poor food choices and maybe gift choice s- that can add to stress.  Pack healthy snacks for yourself to prevent the "grumpy child" from making an appearance.


• Burn Some Energy - Use activity to de-stress, everyone can benefit with more active time to get the blood flowing and clear the mind.  This doesn't always mean you need to dedicate an hour to work-out, although that would be nice.  Burn more calories and relieve stress though-out the day with Non-Exercise Activity Thermogenesis (NEAT).  This is a way to build movement into our lives by changing a few habits.  Here are some examples: parking farther from where you need to go, taking stairs instead of the elevator, walking up or down escalators, fidgeting, using a standing desk while shifting your weight from leg to leg, instead of calling or emailing a co-worker go to their desk, and taking the long route to the bathroom or anywhere you go.  NEAT is a great way to burn extra calories and nervous energy.  Think about where you can incorporate NEAT.


• Get Full Night of Sleep - Sleep is one of those things that you can't catch up on.  In order for our brains to function properly we need at least 7-8 hours of sleep each night.  We are much more able to manage our lives efficiently when well rested.  Make sleep a priority.


• Remember to Breathe - Yes, we are always breathing or we would pass out, but when we are stressed or overly focused on a task we tend to take shallow breaths.  Deep breathing can declutter the mind and relax the body.  In the evenings, I enjoy relaxing with a cup of my favorite herbal tea and breathing in its vapors as a reminder to breathe deeply.  Drinking the tea is relaxing but breathing in the steamy herbs seem to add to the quality of experience.  Find your moments to really breathe during your day especially when you're feeling anxious.


• Enjoy Life! - Gratitude is the word that comes to mind.  In the crazy and hectic holiday season, take a moment to consider what is important to you.  It's a time to reconnect with those you care about, share good food and appreciate all that we have in our lives.  Move beyond the stress and find the deeper meaning as to why we put so much emphasis into this time of year.  With gratitude and appreciation, thank you for taking the time to read this newsletter!

Free introductory 15-minute appointments are also available.