9 Steps to Making Holiday Stress
Your Ally and Not Your Enemy:
Holiday stress. Between the bills, the parties, the overeating, over-drinking, family squabbles, and fighting the crowds at the mall, it is no wonder so many people are left with their heads spinning this time of year. Take back control this year with Dr. K’s Holiday Stress Dissolving Tips.
1. Get Your Butt Moving
Throw any excuse at it you want, but it doesn’t change the fact that NOTHING is a better stress reliever than physical activity. Yoga studios and gyms are trying their best to get your business this time of year, which usually means lower prices and better incentives. Also, you don’t need to sign up for a fancy gym to get moving, you can always start walking more, jogging, and let’s not forget that healthy, consensual sex can be one of the best stress relievers out there. So, if that is an option for you, consider adding a little or a lot more of that to your life. Let stress motivate you to move.
2. Turn up the Volume and Dance
Love Christmas music, perfect, turn some on and rock out. Hate Christmas music, perfect, opt for pandora, spotify, or whichever music outlet you use and rock out. Sing at the top of your lungs in the car, dance while you are getting ready for work, sing in the shower, dance down the aisle while you are shopping, etc. Just sing. Just dance. Find that song that gets you moving every time and put it on repeat. When you are getting stressed start singing it in your head. Whether it’s Michael Jackson (my personal fave), Metallica, Brittney Spears, or Phil Collins, find your song and watch your stress transform into enthusiasm and excitement.
3. Take Some Deep Breaths
When you find yourself getting wrapped up in a conversation or an emotion that is overwhelming your sense of calm, stop and take a nice big belly breath. Focus on the air moving in through your nose or mouth, feel it filling your belly making it expand, notice the moment of pause, then feel your stomach slowly deflate as the air leaves your mouth and nose. Repeat this as many times as is needed. Believe me, slowing yourself down before you say or do something your regret or that is counterproductive to your goals is one of the most important life skills out there. Easier said than done, but this time of year provides ample opportunity to practice.
4. Stop and Smell Some Soothing Scents
That was a mouthful. Anyways, aromatherapy is a quick an easy way to take the edge off this season. Whether it is through a diffuser in your home or office, a roll on for your skin, or if you just pop the top off and sniff it, certain essential oils have been proven to decrease stress and anxiety. Try out scents like lavender, eucalyptus, chamomile, frankincense, and bergamot. Some companies even have their own anti-stress blends.
5. Pick up a Good Book
Sometimes a little escape into someone else’s life can be a much needed respite from our own. Curling up with a good book with some tea or coffee is a perfect recipe for stress relief. Carve out some you time, grab that book you’ve been dying to read, turn off your phone and put the stresses of the season aside for an hour or two.
6. Take a Nice Hot Bath
What’s better than trying a couple of these suggestions all at the same time… nothing… nothing is better. Drawing yourself a nice hot bath with some of the scents listed in #4 all while reading your favorite book and occasionally taking nice slow deep breaths will pretty much have you feeling like a Buddhist monk that has been meditating for decades. No seriously… it will
7. Introduce yourself to Meditation or Mindfulness Training
Mindfulness comes in many flavors. Waking up early to watch the sunrise, pausing to admire an intracate spider web, or closing your eyes and feeling the wind on your face all count as mindfulness. There is also more structured types of mindfulness training like meditation. There’s a podcast by this guy Tim Ferriss, which if you haven’t heard of the guy, please do yourself a favor and check him out , he interviews the best of the best in their respective fields, and I do mean the best, to figure out how they set themselves apart. The one thing that almost all of them have in common is…yup you guessed it…meditation or something very similar to it. Not only do they meditate, but most of them attribute their happiness and success to it. Having a clear, focused mind is a rare superpower that you can actually develop through meditate. So why aren’t you?
8. Acupuncture & Massage
While the idea of needles may not be your idea of relaxation, I feel like a puddle of happy (aka calm and relaxed) after an acupuncture session. If you have never tried it, I highly recommend it for all types of health issues, but definitely try it for stress reduction.
Getting a massage to de-stress isn’t news to anyone, however most people see it as a luxury instead of a necessity. Let me break it down for you: Stress leads to tight muscles and inflammation, those two lead to dysfunctional movement which then leads to pain and injury. Self-care and injury prevention are absolutely essential to your health, so stop feeling guilty and go book that massage!
9. Give Yourself a Head Start With Supplements
Using a product like Adaptocrinefrom Apex Energetics, Adrenal Complex or Adrenal Dessicate from Standard Process, or simply upping your Omega 3s via fish oil, can all help your body cope with the stresses of the season. Sometimes, despite our best effort, stress can still get the best of us. When that happens our body pays the price. These supplements can help minimize the effect stress can have on your body such as lowered immune function, blood sugar difficulties, weight gain, and inflammation. Talk to your health care professional to see if these are right for you.
Disclaimer:
The information provided on this site is intended for your general knowledge only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice or treatment for specific medical conditions. You should not use this information to diagnose or treat a health problem or disease without consulting with a qualified healthcare provider. Please consult your healthcare provider with any questions or concerns you may have regarding your condition.
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