It’s supposed to be the most wonderful time of the year, yet for many the holiday season can turn into the most stressful time of the year. Sure, it’s magical, festive and fun and filled with all kinds of sparkly things and parties, but the holidays can come with a lot of extra stress and craziness that can take a toll on us.
During this time of year, many people resort to bad habits, cave into sugar cravings, overdose on caffeine and go for too much booze. It’s also a time when we can experience heightened emotions, get annoyed by meddling relatives or feel overcome by loneliness.
And with the economy as it is right now, many may also be worried about how you’ll get through the season without maxing out your credit cards. According to the American Psychological Association, 80% of us experience elevated levels of stress during the holidays, which can be detrimental to our health.
However, there are effective self-love and relaxation techniques that can help us to minimize holiday stress and have a happy season instead. Here are our TOP 10 tips to stay calm and cool during the holidays.
#1 Learn to Say No
This isn’t new advice, but it is hugely important. Learn to say ‘NO’. Sure, it can be particularly challenging during the holiday season – after all your second cousin twice removed only has a holiday party once a year – but the sooner you draw the line between what you absolutely have to do and what you can easily skip, the sooner you’ll be able to keep a cool head. One of the biggest stressors during the holiday season is that we feel like we have to do too many things. Between baking cookies, attending events, giving gifts, trimming the tree and every other obligation that is already on your plate, it is vital that you cut down on your to-do list and say no to everything that isn’t essential.
#2 Prioritize Sleep
Time is of the essence during the holidays and for most people the first thing to go is a good night’s sleep. Between staying up late because of all the holiday parties and trying to get everything done with endless to-do lists, missing out on a couple of hours of sleep may not seem like a big deal, but it can wreak havoc on our bodies and mind, take a toll on our energy levels, increase our chances of getting sick or can be the cause for unhealthy food cravings. Make sleep a priority to you give yourself a chance to recharge to get through the holiday marathon.
#3 Breathe
Every time you catch yourself getting into catastrophic thinking mode when everything seems to falter, breathe deeply through your nose. Breathe in on the count of four, hold the breath for the count of six and exhale for the count of eight. The breath is one of the simplest and most effective tools to reduce stress and anxiety, get back a sense of control and improve your performance on any level. And the best part is, the more often you focus on your breath, the more efficiently you will be in calming your anxiety while bolstering your energy and confidence.
#4 Exercise
Maybe one of the best ways to deal with holiday stress is to get moving and exercise regularly. Research shows over and over again that working out doesn’t just boost your energy and fitness levels, it can also elevate your mood and bust stress. On top of that, exercise has been found to reduce tension, confusion, anger and fatigue. Sure, there are a lot of demands on your time during the holiday season, but it’s not the time to stop exercising. In fact, regular exercisers who give up on their workouts, start to feel fatigued and depressed in just one week. Remember, exercise can give you a pump of endorphins and other feel-good hormones, that you don’t want to miss out on, particularly when things get crazy.
#5 Set Aside ‘Me-Time’
The holiday season can feel like every second of your day is filled with some sort of activity or event. It’s important to remember though that it is ok to cancel a holiday party and instead free up some time to focus on yourself to make sure you stay physically and mentally healthy during times of high stress. And keep in mind, we are not talking about becoming a seclude and skip out on every social activity, but making sure that you take the time to take care of yourself and carve out some much needed ‘me-time’.
#6 Focus on Gratitude
Gratitude is usually in the spotlight around Thanksgiving, but it dims down during December when hecticness and stress of the pre-holidays take over. Don’t let this be you. Choose to focus on gratitude all season long, because it can help you tremendously to keep your calm. For one, gratitude is great for our health and the healthier we are, the easier it is to stay cool. But it also helps us to focus on what we already have instead of what we don’t have, which can cut our stress levels way down. Make December a gratitude month and start every day with being grateful for something or someone.
#7 Eat Well
Sure, we all enjoy traditional holiday food, cookies and cakes, but while we don’t say to give up on all the holiday goodness, we recommend that you mostly stick to good-for-you foods that nourish your body and mind and energize you so that you can enjoy the season to the fullest. Keep in mind, you are your most focused, energetic and happy self, when you eat foods that grow on trees or in the ground like fruits and veggies, eat lean protein like organic chicken and fish, choose healthy fats and add nuts, seeds and legumes to your diet.
#8 Take Calm-Down Breaks
Right after you wake up, meditate or simply focus on your breath for a few minutes. Start your day by calming and quieting your mind before the craziness of the day flows in. You will get off to a great start and will be able to handle any stressful situation a lot easier than if you start rushing the second you wake up. And whenever you get stressed out during the day, take quick relaxation breaks of 1 to 5 minutes to calm yourself down.
#9 Stick to a Schedule
The fastest way to fall into the trap of holiday stress is to get off track with your regular routine. Stick as closely as possible to your regular exercise and eating schedules and don’t let anything come in the way. Schedule everything else around your most important priorities and make sure that you don’t overbook your calendar. Things can get crazy, so always leave some free space on your schedule so that you can easily fit in an event that pops up unexpected and still have time to indulge in me-time.
#10 Make Post-Holiday Plans
Let’s be honest, sometimes, no matter how hard we try to minimize holiday stress, we can’t get out of a holiday funk and will have stressful moments. If you feel like this is a particularly tough and stressful holiday season, make relaxing and rejuvenating post-holiday plans. Whether you go on a weeklong vacation, take a long weekend out of town, book a retreat or simply visit a spa, make sure that you do something nice for yourself in the New Year and reward yourself for making it through the holidays.
As amazing as the holidays can be, they can also be a hugely stressful time for many. But there are options to stay calm and collected and actually enjoy the holidays, rather than experience them with stress, anxiety and angst. Incorporate our above tips into your daily life and stay calm during the chaotic holiday season.
’TIS THE SEASON TO BE MERRY – NOT STRESSED OUT
Joschi & Monika
#BoldNaked
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