The holidays are for spending quality time with the people that you love, but for many of us, the holidays turn into the most stressful time of year. To help you get through, we’ve compiled 5-tips for a stress-free holiday…
1. BREATHE // Deep breathing is one of the best ways to lower stress in the body. Slow deep breathing can restore balance in your nervous system, which is impaired when you’re one big ball of stress! SOOOO BREATHE. *Count to 10 as you inhale and then again as you exhale. Repeat for 10 to 15 minutes daily.
2.GET ORGANIZED // Keep it simple by getting organized. Map out your social commitments, but don’t over do it! It’s ok to say no. Organization also helps when it comes to holiday spending. Create and stick to a budget so you don’t have to stress as much over the financial strain of the holiday season.
3. EXERCISE // Make sure that you keep up your exercise routine over the holidays to help reduce stress while also burning off those holiday cookies! Exercise produces endorphins, which will help you feel happy and relaxed.
So hit the hill and go skiing/ snowboarding, or do simple activities with the family like building a snowman, hike up a snowy hill and sled at lightening speed down. Engage the family in some light yoga. Not as fun, but even shoveling snow is a good workout to get the endorphins pumping.
4. TAKE A HOLIDAY TIME-OUT TO LAUGH // Laughing can significantly decrease levels of stress hormones. Pick up a funny holiday movie or engage with family & friends in a classic game of charades to take off that holiday edge.
5. TREAT YOURSELF // Flavonoids in cocoa relax your body’s blood vessels so that arteries can dilate reducing blood pressure, a study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences found. Look for dark chocolate or cocoa powder, which have more of the stress-busting compound than milk chocolate, and keep it to one serving.
From all of us at B4BC…Happy Holidays! xo
(B4BC’s personal holiday movie pick – National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation)
Sources//
Stress Relief Tips: www.womenshealthmag.com
How to Cope With Holiday Stress: www.huffingtonpost.com
