STRESS AROUND THE HOLIDAYS:HOW TO STAY GROUNDED
It is that time of year again when the holiday season is approaching things are getting stressful Stress is common in our busy lives. It affects us physically, mentally, and emotionally. Work, relationships, and society can make us feel overwhelmed. Long-term stress can harm our health. It's important to realize the impact of stress and take care of ourselves.
What things are making you stressed during the holidays? Maybe it is the end-of-year deadlines at work, checking off all the to-dos, financial struggles, keeping up with all the events and holiday parties, travel, or holiday shopping and the hustle of the season.
Whatever things are making you stressed it can become extra overwhelming during the holiday season when we feel like we have to say yes to everything and everyone and stretch ourselves thin.
What are things we can do to stay grounded and minimize stress during the holiday season?
Stick with a routine: Whether that be your daily morning/night routine that you already have in place or a more manageable shorter routine while you are busy. Sticking with routine can help keep your nervous system balanced and tasks more manageable
Boundaries! This is a tough one for recovering people pleasers. Saying no can be difficult or setting a boundary of what you can and can’t do can be uncomfortable, but it is YOUR life, and sticking to your boundaries and only doing what feels right and safe to you is okay
Taking a walk. Not only is being outside in nature healing in itself, walking can calm the mind, offer a reset, and even help with digestion after large meals
Getting sunlight in the morning: getting morning sunlight when you wake up for as little as 5 minutes can help regulate us for the rest of the day. It can help us produce all the hormones and chemicals we need to regulate stress, improve mood, and sleep
SLEEP! Good quality sleep at the end of these long days is so important to being able to balance our stress response. I know the to-do lists can get long and we feel like we have to complete everything by the end of the day, but we can’t pour from a empty cup and quality sleep can help restore us for the upcoming day!
The holiday season should be a time of fun, family, loved ones, gratefulness, and love. It doesn’t always have to be stressful (and yes, a little stress is totally normal and okay). Take time for yourself, set boundaries, enjoy nature, and get through this season feeling great
Interested in discovering your health journey with Dr. Christina Erndl?
Call 480.361.3844