How To Relieve Stress During The Holidays

The holidays are a time filled with joy and a chance to reconnect with your loved ones. However, it may also be a season of stress and anxiety. There are many factors that can cause stress and anxiety during the holidays, such as unrealistic expectations, financial pressures, and excessive commitments. The good news is that there are several ways you can manage your stress during the holiday season.

Ways to Manage Your Stress

The holidays should never be something you dread. Instead, take these steps to help prevent the stress and depression that can descend during these hectic times.

Slow down

The holidays can leave you feeling overwhelmed and out of control. Sometimes the best way to relieve stress is to talk yourself through it and slow down. When you’re in a hurry, you’re much more likely to be anxious, cut corners, and worry about not getting everything done, all of which can increase blood pressure and elevate your heart rate — producing added stress.

When you take a moment to catch your breath, you can slow down your heart beat, your blood pressure has a chance to level off to a healthy range, and your anxiety begins to dissipate. If you start to feel stressed, try taking a moment to practice mindfulness, focusing your attention on the present and allowing your heart rate to slow down.

Get some exercise

One of the best ways to overcome stress during the holidays or any other time is to get some exercise. Research shows that physical activity not only boosts your fitness and energy levels, but it can also elevate your mood. Virtually any form of exercise, from yoga to high-intensity cardio, can act as a stress reliever.

Exercise and other physical activity produce the brain’s feel-good hormones, called endorphins. These chemicals act as natural painkillers and can help improve the ability to sleep, which reduces stress.

Take some time for yourself

While the holidays are all about being with loved ones, it can be easy to overlook your mental and physical health in all the chaos. If you are feeling stressed, don’t be afraid to cancel and spend some quality time with yourself practicing self-care. Self-care can mean anything from warm bubble baths and facial masks to quiet music and cleaning. There are practically endless ways to practice self-care, and it all comes down to doing the things that you enjoy.

Eat healthy

Making healthy food choices can help you cope with the taxing effects of stress and restore your health and well-being. A proper and nutritious diet can counterbalance the impact of stress by stabilizing moods, strengthening the immune system, and reducing blood pressure. Instead of reaching for a pint of ice cream, try grabbing a healthy alternative, such as:

• Strawberry cream crisps
• Salted caramel crisps
• Caramel nut bars
• Choc-a-lot protein bars

Plan ahead

If you are stressed about all the cooking, shopping and entertaining you have to do this holiday season, try setting aside specific days for each task. Consider whether you can do your shopping online to save you a trip from the store. Try planning your dinners and then creating a shopping list to make things go smoothly at the grocery store so you won’t add more stress if you forget an item.

Try these supplements

Don’t let chronic stress affect your immune system this year. Garcia Weight Loss and Aesthetic Centers have a variety of supplements to help boost the immune system and support mental wellness. Try Sereniti, a unique blend of herbal extracts designed to support normal mental functioning during stress and anxiety! Check out our full range of immune-boosting vitamins and supplements here.

Contact us

The holidays can be chaotic, but you can get through them with the help of Garcia Weight Loss and Aesthetic Centers! We can provide customized plans, personalized supplements, and constant support to get you looking and feeling your best. Book your no-cost consultation today!