Fight Holiday Stress
The holidays are the most wonderful time of the year. But, they can also be the most stressful. The shopping, the chores, the food, and the unwanted social interactions with distant relatives. If your feeling the stress and less of the joy, I have a couple tips for you:
1. Spend time in the sun. If it's a nice da
y out, set a chair out and relax. If it's 10 degrees below and you don't feel like freezing your toes off, sit inside by a nice bright sunny window. The sun can increase serotonin and relieve seasonal affective disorder.
2. Take a walk. A brisk 30 minute walk can really do a lot for you mentally. Walking is proven to decrease anxiety and improve sleep. Again, if it's freezing, step on a treadmill or go to an indoor area to walk, like a mall.
3. Squeeze your hoku spot. In traditional Chinese medicine, a hoku spot is the place on your hand between your palm and index finger. It has been shown that putting pressure in this area for 30 seconds it can reduce stress and tension in the upper body.
4. Don't overbook yourself. Don't try to be a superhero and do it all. No one can make 14 different kinds of cookies, attend every holiday party, decorates their whole house, volunteer, go caroling, and send out 100 holiday cards. The less you do, the more you will truly enjoy what you are doing.
5. Do fall away from your routine. If you wake up everyday at 5 a.m. to do yoga and drink coffee, stick with that. Keeping up on your daily habits and exercise schedule will help to decrease extra stress.
6. Turn off technology. For anyone to really live in the present, you need to be in the present. There is nothing more distracting than a constant ring of calls and texts. You can't enjoy your company with that sort of distraction. You will also find yourself getting a lot more stressed out from all the people trying to contact you.
7. Eat breakfast before coffee. If you have caffeine on an empty stomach it will cause your blood sugar levels to spike leading to flutters in your stomach and an added dose of anxiety.
8. Turn on your favorite tunes. Music is proven to help people relax and also increase blood flow. Not only is it good for fighting stress but it is also good for your heart.
9. Think positive. The holidays really are a wonderful time. What other time of the year do you get to take a break and spend quality time with friends and family. Even if every interaction isn't pleasant, people usually mean well. No one is actually out to get you. Just take a moment, breath, rethink what happened, and understand where they are coming from.
1. Spend time in the sun. If it's a nice da
y out, set a chair out and relax. If it's 10 degrees below and you don't feel like freezing your toes off, sit inside by a nice bright sunny window. The sun can increase serotonin and relieve seasonal affective disorder.
2. Take a walk. A brisk 30 minute walk can really do a lot for you mentally. Walking is proven to decrease anxiety and improve sleep. Again, if it's freezing, step on a treadmill or go to an indoor area to walk, like a mall.
3. Squeeze your hoku spot. In traditional Chinese medicine, a hoku spot is the place on your hand between your palm and index finger. It has been shown that putting pressure in this area for 30 seconds it can reduce stress and tension in the upper body.
4. Don't overbook yourself. Don't try to be a superhero and do it all. No one can make 14 different kinds of cookies, attend every holiday party, decorates their whole house, volunteer, go caroling, and send out 100 holiday cards. The less you do, the more you will truly enjoy what you are doing.
5. Do fall away from your routine. If you wake up everyday at 5 a.m. to do yoga and drink coffee, stick with that. Keeping up on your daily habits and exercise schedule will help to decrease extra stress.
6. Turn off technology. For anyone to really live in the present, you need to be in the present. There is nothing more distracting than a constant ring of calls and texts. You can't enjoy your company with that sort of distraction. You will also find yourself getting a lot more stressed out from all the people trying to contact you.
7. Eat breakfast before coffee. If you have caffeine on an empty stomach it will cause your blood sugar levels to spike leading to flutters in your stomach and an added dose of anxiety.
8. Turn on your favorite tunes. Music is proven to help people relax and also increase blood flow. Not only is it good for fighting stress but it is also good for your heart.
9. Think positive. The holidays really are a wonderful time. What other time of the year do you get to take a break and spend quality time with friends and family. Even if every interaction isn't pleasant, people usually mean well. No one is actually out to get you. Just take a moment, breath, rethink what happened, and understand where they are coming from.
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