Healthy Stress Busters for the Holidays! We have no doubt entered a busy time of year.
The holidays hold so much anticipation, excitement, commitments and expectations. It is impossible to meet them all without bringing on a bit of stress.
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Do you have a special furry family member? Remember to Keep Your Pet Healthy During the Holidays.
What if this holiday season you and I could keep stress to a minimum and still make meaningful memories? Here are 15 Healthy Stress Busters for us all to apply!
Healthy Stress Busters
Write it Down
Oh my, do I love lists! Do you like creating lists and checking line items off? It’s really a time and stress saver for me. No more worrying if I missed an important deadline, meal, or cool gift idea. It’s all written down in my day planner or in the Notes section of my iPad/iPhone. I even write out a checklist for what I am serving for meals and special treats for Christmas and parties. I go one step further and print it off and post it on my fridge! What about you?
Plan Ahead
If it’s possible to plan ahead, make the effort to do it! Spontaneity has it’s place but it also can bring on unnecessary stress. Plan ahead with freezer meals and healthy frozen desserts. Check out 31 Crock Pot Freezer Meals (Paleo-friendly).
Prioritize “Down Time”
Please don’t get “down time” confused with laziness. I certainly need to give my body and brain a break at some point during my day. My down time might be stopping to enjoy a cup of holiday tea, read a book in the evenings, or taking a 20 minute power nap.
Move Your Body
You and I both have heard over the years that exercise is crucial to relieving stress. Plan it into your busy days. A 15-20 minute walk can be enough to eliminate worry and provide you with renewed energy.
Be Generous
Christmas time is a wonderful time to give. However, gifting doesn’t have to cost you a fortune. Try gifting someone a smile, more patience, or gifting your time by volunteering.
Eat Real Food
Try keeping your meals simple. Opt for eating at home instead of choosing take out. Soups and Chili offer simple goodness and they’re ready for those packed days! It’s great to make enough to freeze for another day. Try Nutritious Easy to Prepare Soup and Chili Recipes.
Get Outdoors
I love being outdoors! The thing that gets me is all the work it takes to get bundled up for a brief walk outside. I tell myself it is worth it, especially if the sun is shining. Sunshine does wonders for uplifting your mood. Do you need ideas of other outdoor activities? 7 ways to burn calories with healthy outdoor activities.
Use your Senses
Our sense of smell can be used to our advantage. Place slivers of ginger and cloves in a small pot of water to simmer on the stove-top. If you use essential oils, now is the time to diffuse! Try orange, lemon, lavender or stress away. Listen to peaceful or cheerful music. Buy quality Essential Oils here.
Prioritize Sleep
Getting enough sleep is not a new revelation for reducing stress. Our body and mind need to rest! Aim for 7-9 hours of sleep a night. You will be able to tackle the holidays with a much better perspective.
Keep Routine
When it’s possible, keep a routine. The most important routines are when you wake up and when you go to bed. Kids are not the only ones to benefit from a night time routine.
Skip on the Perfection
I am one of those people that likes to have every recipe perfect and my home looking clean. This will be one that I apply for stress busting. What do you want people to remember about you? Be present and don’t fret over not being perfect.
Limit Online Time
Try to limit the amount of time you spend online. One tip is to place your phone away from you, even in a different room. It will keep you from responding to the urgent and feeling like you have to be everything to everyone! (Another perk is it will help you sleep better too.)
Prepare a Special Treat
My daughters and I enjoy creating treats in the kitchen. It’s relaxing and something enjoyed by others. Keep in mind, that it’s a treat and doesn’t have to be an item we make all the time. Treats require sitting down and enjoying them with family or friends. One simple treat that can required no baking is Grain Free Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Bars and Grain Free Chocolate Gem Cookies.
Protect Your Day
Ugh! So hard to do, but necessary! It has taken years for me to figure out how to not over schedule my day. I still slip every once in a while and think I’m super women. Look at your list and see if their is even enough time in one day to complete it. (And figure in uncontrollable things like phone calls from long distance relatives, traffic, an appliance breaking down, etc.)
Think Positive
Practice gratefulness every day of the year! Grab a notebook or type in your phone, 5 reasons to be grateful today. This practice is a stress buster and allows our brain to focus on being positive and not the stress happening around us.
Adjust Expectations
Evaluate your expectations. Think about who they focus on and why you have them. Prioritize what is truly important to you and take action! Often times, an attitude adjustment goes hand in hand with our expectations. You can do this and relieve a lot of unwanted stress.
Healthy Stress Busters for the Holidays
Could you relate to any of the stress busters? It’s not all about us and being perfect. Enjoy this season and keep healthy stress levels! You got this!
Which stress busters worked best for you??
Merry Christmas & Happy New Year!
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