Without a doubt, the holidays bring a certain magic and excitement to the end of the year, but they also lend extra stress, social engagements and pressures that don’t feel so merry. Loneliness, melancholy and holiday blues can shadow the fun stuff and push the sanity envelope. Stay sane this holiday; here are some tips to keep your season lighter and brighter.
Lower Your Expectations – While we all envision the perfect holiday spread, or finding the ideal gift for our loved ones, the reality is that feuding family members won’t reconcile, turkeys will be overbaked and underbaked, trees will topple and the world will keep turning. Do yourself a favor and don’t model your holiday expectations after classic movies or some picturesque version of nostalgia that has no basis in reality. It’s OK. Enjoy the small things and let everything else go.
Schedule Less – The increase in social engagements can make for a lot of fun times but can be equally as stressing to try and make them all. Don’t overbook yourself; pick one or two parties/events and stay there. It’s equally as important to-
Keep up Your Routines – Know that meditation centers you for the whole day? Find that keeping up your workouts makes you more energized throughout the day? Stick with what works! Make your morning smoothie, get your workout in and Keep up your healthy everyday routines and they will help buffer the extra stresses during the extra hustle and bustle.
Cook in Advance – Take one day or a weekend and do as much food prep as you can, whether it’s cookies for a holiday party or just regular dinners for the week. You’ll thank yourself when you’ve planned ahead.
Take Five – Even good stresses are exactly that: stress. Even the enjoyable parts of the holidays add to our to-do lists. Taking a few moments to yourself to regroup, meditate or visualize can help you keep you regroup, re-energize and keep your cool.
Get Good Sleep – Holiday celebrations can often deprive us of quality shut eye. Try to get to bed at your normal time; avoid alcohol, heavy food and sugar prior to sleeping, all can disrupt your sleep cycles.
Get Grateful – It’s always good to take some perspective and realize how much you have to be grateful for. Your basic needs are met and you can celebrate in the way that you do. Take inventory of your friends, loved ones and all you have to celebrate. Writing everything down can help you realize how much you have..and, it will lift your spirits!
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Did we miss something? Tell us your favorite tips for staying healthy this holiday.
photo credit: https://www.standardprocess.com/Standard-Process/Adrenal-Support-for-Hectic-Lives#.VIe8MDHF-So
