The end of year is approaching and Christmas Holidays are supposed to be the most wonderful time of the year, but for many of us very often it turns to be the most stressful time of year as well.
With all the wish lists and additional responsibilities and expectations, our stress levels can run very high, for some of us even leading to various health problems and increase in bad habits.
We all manage our stress differently, to relieve stress, according to some studies, under excess stress we often turn to our old, bad habits, like:
- Drinking more alcohol and coffee
- Eating junk or comfort foods
- Watching more tv or wasting
- Spending endless hours on social media
- Sleeping less
While stress may be the trigger for reappearance of our bad habits, it is the immune system that takes a major hit.
When we are in long-term stress, the body becomes more vulnerable to diseases, like:
- Psychological problems
- Cardiovascular diseases and heart attacks
- Inflammatory skin conditions
- Digestive problems
- Increased susceptibility to colds, viruses etc.
So, if you are asking yourself – what can we do about it? Do not despair because fortunately, there are ways to keep holyday stress at bay!
Please be free to try some of the following strategies and you will enjoy your holidays in a more relaxed mood!
- Give yourself a break. You may be thinking that you have no time for a pause, but the experts all agree that to stay healthy you must to give yourself a time out each day to relax in a way that suits you best. Even few minutes each day to engage yourself in some relaxing or stress relieving activity can help you to calm down, clear your mind and function much better.
- Be realistic. Write down everything you must do, but if your list happens to be too long, be realistic and cut anything that isn’t a necessity to making your holiday better. Remember not everything is a priority, so make it easier for yourself.
- Think before you buy. Spending money fast is one of the leading stressors. While stores try to get you to spend all your money, you must have your budget planned well in advance and make an effort to stick to it.
- Get more physical exercise. Stress releases stress hormones into your body, but you must stay active because exercise releases endorphins, the good hormones, which can help you to combat stress and to feel more energized and positive.
- Keep eating healthy. You will find sweets just about anywhere you go this time of year. While it’s ok to treat yourself once and awhile, if not careful you may gain some extra a pounds during holiday season which can increase your stress levels even further!