With the holidays coming up, there's a shift in the atmosphere, comprised of pumpkin spice and candy canes. But, with all the wonderful soul healing foods, sometimes the holidays can add unneeded stress to your life. The stress of buying gifts, planning parties with friends and family, and exams all mixed in with it can be enough to make anyone lose their marbles. So, with all that in mind here are four ways to combat the stress you may face!
Get enough sleep
On almost any article in regards to decreasing stress and improving wellness, you will probably see sleep appear. And it's not for nothing-sleep is so so important! So, finally take advice and get some this holiday season! Sleep can help improve your memory for all those exams you're going to ace and getting a full night's rest may even help you remember to get that particular gift for your family member. In addition to memory, sleep can improve your mood and aid in clarity of thinking so that when your aunt Karen asks you for the third year in a row why you don't have a boyfriend, maybe you won't blow up and "ruin Thanksgiving". Again.
Self care
The holidays are a time to relax and enjoy spending time with the ones you love, but sometimes the most important person is left by the wayside-I'm talking about you! So, this Thanksgiving before you stay up all night trying to make a wonderful meal for friends and family, take a step back from carving the turkey and carve some time out for yourself. Be it a face mask, bubble bath, or calming meditation (or all three!), make sure you get some time to take care of you this holiday season. I mean it is your holiday, why not make it enjoyable for yourself as well!
Go for a walk
When it seems like everything is going wrong and there are a bazillion and one things that need to be done in the next two minutes otherwise the world will most certainly end, most psychologists say that this is the perfect time to just walk away. Extracting yourself from a stressful situation can not only ease stress instantaneously but it may also boost your mood. By going for a walk you are taking yourself away from stressors, which allows you to decompress and give you some necessary time to think. It has also been statistically shown that those who take walks often have a lower stress level than those who don't perform some type of physical activity. The simple act of moving your body and breathing in natural air can be enough to gain some much needed clarity for the upcoming task that needs to be accomplished this holiday season.
Take a deep breath
This last one may appear to be a little childish but hang with me on this one, because it's also backed by science. So, when the turkey becomes burned, you can't find the perfect gift, or the Christmas tree goes up in flames, before you scream or cry or simply book the next plane ticket to somewhere far away, take a deep breath. Deep breathing biologically slows you down, as your brain is sent a signal to relax, which then spreads over the rest of your body. Don't believe me? Try it right now. You can't help but feel some form of relaxation with a deep breath. Rapid heart rate and high blood pressure also decrease as you do this, which is very beneficial in times of extreme stress.
Hopefully these small tips will be easy to incorporate into your holiday season, making this one the least stressful yet!
