Less Stress: Tips to Get Through the Holidays
By Genevieve Cunningham
The holidays make for such a great time of year. Most people love the songs, the sights, the family. But along with the wonderful hustle and bustle comes some serious stress and worries. And all of that stress can lead to a mental health crisis once the holiday madness has melted away. To protect your mental health and keep the stress at bay, take a look at these tips for blasting the stress away through the holiday season.
Make Time for Sunlight
We tend to get out in the sunlight a lot more in the summer months than we do during the holidays. But make some time to soak in the sun, especially if you live in a place where sunshine is abundant. The sun brings much needed Vitamin D to your body, which can boost bone health, help fight depression, and boost general moods. Instead of waiting until the holidays are over to get back to the sun, make some specific time now to soak in the sun’s rays in order to keep your stress levels lower.
Go for Walks
Exercise is a great way to lower stress and boost your mood. But this can be hard to do when you’re on the move and visiting loved ones. Instead of taking this as an opportunity to skip your workouts, go for walks instead. You can walk just about anywhere, so it won’t be any trouble to throw on your walking shoes and step out the front door. This allows you to keep up your workout, lower your stress, and maybe even escape the presence of certain worry spots in order to protect your mental health through the holidays.
Keep Your Routine Intact
It’s easy to skip the routine and sleep in and indulge on sweets all day long. We’re off work for a bit, so why not enjoy it? While it’s perfectly OK to indulge and break the rules a little, don’t take it overboard. Instead, stick to your normal routine as much as you can. Wake up close to the same time and go to bed at close to the same time. Indulge in a sweet or two, but stick to your healthy diet when possible. The more stable you keep your routine, the more stable you’ll keep your stress levels and your mental health as well.
The holidays can certainly bring their own set of worries to the table. But with some simple preparation, you can avoid dealing with too much holiday stress and make it through mostly unscathed. Give these tips a try this season, and stay safe, healthy, and happy all the way into the new year.
To learn more about your health and wellness, see your local chiropractor at The Joint Chiropractic.