Stress less this holiday season

Decorate the house, buy gifts, wrap gifts, address holiday cards, make holiday treats, host a party, go to parties, attend children’s school holiday events….and the list goes on.  Ever feel a little bit stressed out this time of year?

Relax.  We all do.  Yes, it is a wonderful time of year but the pressure to make it memorable and fun can be a bit daunting at times.  The thing that makes this season stressful is the expectations we place on ourselves and maybe even others.  If you think about it nothing changes during this time – we still have to get up, go to our jobs, tend to our families, fix meals, workout.  All of that stays the same like it does throughout the rest of the year.  What changes is the month long (or more) anticipation and buildup towards a beautiful celebration which shouldn’t cause us stress and yet it does. 

How do we keep ourselves from stressing out during what is supposed to be a time of joy and celebratory exultation?

We can start by telling ourselves, “it’s okay not to be perfect.”  No one is of course.  Can we take away all stress?  Of course not, but there are many things we can do to lessen the burden of stress making our lives feel a little more carefree, lighthearted, and even at times, happy-go-lucky.  Here’s how:

·      Keep connected with family and friends.  This can be a huge stressor if you feel disconnected from those you care about and love.  Take time to reach out with a phone call, visit, text message, Facebook message or whatever you feel comfortable doing.  All of us feel special knowing someone carved out precious time to want to spend it with you.

·      Distance yourself from negative influences.  At the same token, there are unfortunately those people in our lives who bring us down.  Unless you are able to look past their negativity and chalk it up to a personality issue, it’s best to avoid contact with someone who will only raise your stress level.

·      Nurture creativity.  Each of us has a creative side to us whether you believe it or not.  Maybe you can’t carry a tune or can barely draw a stick figure, but you have a special way with animals.  Or maybe you’re talents are in creating beautiful cakes, caring for the elderly or taking amazing sunset photos.  Discover, nurture and then share your talents so others will be blessed with them.  Whatever we are good at we tend to feel less stress when doing it.

·      Practice meditation. This may not be for everyone, but for those who do it regularly they swear it immensely diminishes stress.  Meditation can be as easy as simply closing your eyes and visualizing a peaceful, calm scene that will quiet the stress demons filling your mind.

·      Take a deep breath.  By the same token, practicing controlled breathing, similar to meditation, is another guaranteed stress buster.  In a seated or lying down position in a quiet room, inhale deeply filling up your lungs while counting to 5 and then exhale pulling your abdomen to your spine to a steady count of 5 once again.  Breathe this way for at least a couple of minutes or more and notice the immediate blanket of serenity enveloping you.

·      Listen to the music.  Is there really any other medium that quite connects us all together as the sound of music does?  The extraordinary gift of music has been shown to soothe and calm our nerves helping us relax and reflect on what is good in life.  Put on your favorite tunes letting it melt away your stress and anxieties.

·      Keep a gratitude journal.  At the end of each day, write down at least 3 things you are grateful for. It could be what happened that day or even years ago.  At the same time, write down your frustrations for the day.  Research has shown when we write down our feelings it can help us find better ways to cope with difficulties putting a positive spin on your mood while reducing stress.

·      Get physical.  The last thing you may want to do is get in a work out, yet when stress levels are sky high, this should be one of the first things to do.  Going on a walk outdoors, kickboxing, jumping rope, dancing to music, are all fun ways to work out stress while getting in better shape.