Removing Stress Buildup During the Holiday Season

By Donna Kostiew

Are you ready for the next few weeks? We are about to enter one of the most potentially stressful times of the year. A time of year that is filled with holiday dinners and office parties, tons of shopping to find those perfect gifts for the ones we love, and extra family invading our personal space. It’s a season that is beautiful and wonderful, filled with love and joy. It’s also a season that can take the best from us, filling us with stress and anxiety.

It would be foolish to say that we can eliminate all of the stress that is being felt during this time of year, but it is possible to reduce some of that stress by evaluating and changing the expectations and demands that we place upon ourselves.

Stress and Holidays Always go Hand-in-Hand

Here are a few tips that will help relieve some of the stress you may experience in the next few weeks.

Make a budget – Not only do stress and the holidays go hand-in-hand, so does stress and money. Find some time to sit down and decide how much you will spend on each person’s gift. Also, don’t forget to consider your budget for any traveling you will be doing, for any special events you will be going to (holiday lights at the zoo, Nutcracker productions, etc.), and for any nights you will be going out for dinners or drinks.

Decide which commitments you will make – Choosing a few, meaningful activities to attend with your friends and family are a lot easier to manage and will reduce a ton of your stress. Remember that you can say “no,” and that oftentimes it is needed just in order to keep your sanity. Spending 30 minutes here, to have to leave to spend an hour there, to run off to the last party of the night so you can spend some time there, isn’t producing much in the way of deep, meaningful moments. Be selective.

Keep gift giving personal – Don’t let your shopping get out of hand. Remember to keep your budget in mind and in doing so, choose gifts that have meaning and are special to the receiver. Focus on a few gifts that your loved ones will like and then let it be. You don’t need a huge number of gifts to express how you feel about them.

Consider your health first – Don’t forget to eat right, exercise, and get plenty of sleep … you’ll need it! Your health should be a priority during this time and your body is counting on you to make smart decisions to carry it through to the new year.

If you are feeling your stress build up, if your back and neck are becoming tense, make sure to see your chiropractor as well. With the adjustments they provide, you will end up feeling a whole lot better and will be improving your immune system at the same time. You can’t go wrong there.

To learn more about your health, wellness, and fitness, see your local chiropractor at The Joint Chiropractic in Renton, Wash.