5 Tips for Reducing Holiday Stress
From dealing with extended family members to the pressure of making everything go perfectly, it’s not easy to remain relaxed this time of year. Holiday stress not only impacts you mentally and emotionally, but it can cause you physical pain. Not to mention, high stress levels make you more susceptible to illness during the cold and flu season. That’s why managing your stress is as important as ever to keep the holiday cheer going.
Continue reading to learn how to identify stress and five ways to reduce its impact year-round.
How to Know if You’re Dealing with Holiday Stress
It’s easy to power through the signs of stress without even recognizing it. Fortunately, if you take a minute to rest and reflect, the symptoms are easy to pinpoint:
- Tension headaches
- Anxiety
- Low mood
- Body aches, especially in the neck, shoulders, and back
- Trouble sleeping
- Increased irritability
- Poor diet choices and cravings
If you’ve noticed the signs creeping up on you or getting worse, then it’s time to take some steps toward relaxation.
5 Ways to Stay Relaxed This Season
1. Plan Ahead
Your to-do list is probably a mile long right now, but you can’t do it all yourself. Designating time for shopping, cooking, and decorating can make your to-do list feel more focused and manageable. If you still can’t fit everything in, choose the most important (and most joyful) items on your list and delegate or decline the rest.
2. Set a Budget
Expensive wish lists and extensive gift lists can put a strain on your bank account, so much so that money is the main holiday stressor for many people. Before you start shopping, set your holiday budget for gifts, décor, and the menu. You can keep an eye on your spending by pulling out cash or using a preloaded card.
3. Maintain Your Healthy Habits
It’s no secret that this is the most indulgent time of year. So, it’s easy to completely trade in your usual balanced diet and exercise routine for a season-long celebration. However, your body and mind will benefit more by practicing moderation.
When you’re not actively celebrating, try to stick to your regular regimen. Fill your plate with healthy fats, vegetables, and fruits that reduce stress. Exercise is also a natural stress reliever, and you don’t have to do much to reap the benefits—just take a 30-minute walk or complete a brief yoga practice. If you can, take your exercise outdoors! Sunlight and nature have been shown to improve your mood and ease the effects of stress on your nervous system.
4. Get Enough Sleep
Have you ever noticed that you’re crankier and more irritable after a late night? That’s because sleep is your body’s time to reset and stabilize your mood and hormone levels. When you wake up, you’re refreshed and better equipped to handle the minor stressors throughout the day. Aim for 7 to 8 hours each night.
If you find it hard to fall asleep, try reducing the temperature, putting your phone away an hour before bed, and keeping your room dark.
5. Keep Up with Your Chiropractic Care Appointments
Chiropractic care, massage therapy, and acupuncture for pain are tools that can instantly relieve stress in the body. The benefits of massage therapy in Bend helps with stress in a few ways:
- reduces the stress hormone cortisol in the body
- increases feel-good hormones, like serotonin and dopamine
- provides time to unwind and relax
Plus, massage therapy for pain reduces the irritability and increased anxiety that occurs when you’re experiencing discomfort.
As we mentioned earlier, stress can greatly impact your body, causing inflammation, pain, and muscle tension. Not only do chiropractic adjustments relieve pressure on all your body’s systems, but they also release muscle tension to put your body in a more relaxed state. The best chiropractor in Bend will give you daily stresses that help keep tension at bay even after your appointment.
Your acupuncturist in Bend can provide a full-body reset, including your stress and pain levels. Together, these treatment options keep you relaxed and ready for whatever the season throws at you.
Gifting chiropractic and massage services with the best massage therapists in Bend is an affordable, simple, and meaningful way to take the stress out of the holidays for yourself and your loved ones. The longer you spend away from your chiropractic care regimen, the more your stress grows. So, if you’re already on a holistic care plan, now is not the time to stop. Schedule your appointment with Total Body today and get into the holiday spirit.