5 Tips on Dealing with Holiday Stress
Holidays are around the corner and with that, stress can come from all directions. Without the awareness or effective techniques to manage and deal with these stressors, we are likely to have mental and physical health problems as a result. No one can simply remove themselves from the daily stressors of life, but by learning how to manage and mitigate them with good practice and techniques we can allow ourselves to live a healthier and happier life. With a little planning and some positive thinking, you can find peace and joy during the holidays.
Common effects of stress:
Indeed, stress symptoms can affect your body, your thoughts, feelings, and your behavior. Being able to recognize common stress symptoms can help you manage them. Stress that’s left unchecked can contribute to many health problems, such as high blood pressure, heart disease, obesity and diabetes.
Address the stress:
Being aware of what causes stress in our daily life is not always as easy as we would like to think… We often simply find a ways to manage around them or even working through them, without acknowledging that they are present or getting any closer to there root cause. As we all know, recognizing the problem comes before we can actually work on creating the solution. By simply allowing ourselves to be aware of what causes us stress is the MOST important 1st step to properly begin working on them. Stress is subjective — it is not measurable with tests. Only the person experiencing it can determine whether it’s present and how severe it feels. A healthcare provider may use questionnaires to understand your stress levels and how it affects your life. Consulting a healthcare provider can give a greater understanding of how to manage and deal with stress.
Beat the stress:
Learning how to manage your stress takes practice, but you can — and need to — do it.
Here are 5 ways to make it easier.
1. Exercise
Working out regularly is one of the best ways to relax your body and mind. Plus, exercise will improve your mood. But you have to do it often for it to pay off.
So how much should you exercise every week?
Work up to 2 hours of moderately intense exercise like brisk walks or 75 minutes of a more vigorous exercise like swimming laps, jogging or other sports.
Focus on setting fitness goals you can meet so you don’t give up. Most of all remember that doing any exercise is better than none at all.
2. Relax Your Muscles
When you’re stressed, your muscles get tense. You can help loosen them up on your own and refresh your body by:
- Stretching
- Enjoying a massage
- Taking a hot bath or shower
- Getting a good night’s sleep
3. Deep Breathing
Stopping and taking a few deep breaths can take the pressure off you right away. You’ll be surprised how much better you feel once you get good at it. Just follow these 5 steps:
- Sit in a comfortable position with your hands in your lap and your feet on the floor. Or you can lie down.
- Close your eyes.
- Imagine yourself in a relaxing place. It can be on the beach, in a beautiful field of grass, or anywhere that gives you a peaceful feeling.
- Slowly take deep breaths in and out.
- Do this for 5 to 10 minutes at a time.
4. Eat Well
Eating a regular, well-balanced diet will help you feel better in general. It may also help control your moods. Your meals should be full of vegetables, fruit, whole grains, and lean protein for energy. And don’t skip any. It’s not good for you and can put you in a bad mood, which can actually increase your stress.
5. Slow Down
Modern life is so busy, and sometimes we just need to slow down and chill out. Look at your life and find small ways you can do that. For example:
- Set your watch 5 to 10 minutes ahead. That way you’ll get places a little early and avoid the stress of being late.
- When you’re driving on the highway, switch to the slow lane so you can avoid road rage.
- Break down big jobs into smaller ones. For example, don’t try to answer all 100 emails if you don’t have to — just answer a few of them.
Get support if you need it. Holidays can sometimes trigger anxiety and depression. They can be especially hard if you are already dealing with the death of a loved one or the breakup of a relationship. You may feel embarrassed to ask for help, or you may think that you’ll get over “the blues” on your own. treatment to get better.
Takeaway
When it comes to stress, it’s important to listen to what your body and mind are telling you. If a situation is too stressful, ask yourself why you feel the way you do and consider what you can do to better manage your stress.
By learning how to cope with day-to-day stress, you can be better prepared to tackle holiday stress.
Dealing with stress effectively doesn’t come easy right away. It takes practice and time. Using these tools makes it easier and puts us on the right path.
* The content presented here is for your information only. It is not a substitute for professional medical advice, and it should not be used to diagnose or treat a health problem or disease.
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