Top 10 Ways to Reduce Holiday Stress

These great tips were recently shared by NorthBay Women's Health Coach Suzanne Goodwin, RN, BSN, and they were just too helpful to not share with all of you!

Visit NorthBay’s Spirit of Women website for more great articles - http://womenshealth.northbay.org

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Before you become a victim of holiday stress overload, try implementing some of Suzanne's top 10 ways to reduce winter stress and lighten up so that you can walk on sunshine once again.

1. Laughter/humor

Children laugh on the average of at least 300 times per day and adults laugh about 15 times per day. Multiple studies over many years have proven that humor, and laughter, heals. Laughter decreases pain, brings lowers cortisol levels, increases immune system and relaxes the muscles, nerves and mind.  Smiling is the easiest way to instantly relax and a daily smile at each other can change a situation from negative to positive for both the giver and the receiver. Smile often and watch the world change and your perception change along with it, while your stress level subtly subsides.

2. Self care

Taking care of yourself during the holiday season will decrease stress. How often do you take a long and luxurious bath, or go for a spa treatment or massage? Pamper yourself this holiday season! Don't put yourself at the bottom of the list. You must first take care of you before you can take care of others effectively. Take yourself lightly and learn to laugh at yourself often!

3. Love friends and family

Love is patient and kind, and is the first and foremost emotion we share. Love is also a choice that we can make towards others. Spend time with those you love, and allow those you love to love you in return. Surround yourself with friends and family during the holidays and do not isolate yourself. Use humor and laughter often in your loving relationships

4. Exercise

Exercise at least 30 minutes daily. Studies have shown that daily exercise, even if broken into 10 minute segments, three times daily will benefit your overall health. Check with your physician before beginning any type of exercise program, especially if you have health issues or are overweight.

5. Maintain a healthy diet

With food and beverage temptations lurking around every corner, this can be one of the most difficult seasons to maintain a healthy diet. Try to emphasize the basics; drinking adequate water, avoiding excessive calorie consumption, excessive fat and sugar intake, and try keeping a daily journal of your food intake if overeating is a problem.

6. Reframe situation

When stress and activities overwhelm you like a dark storm, step back and look at each situation individually with a new perspective. Keeping the previously mentioned principles in mind such as humor, love and self-care, look at each negative situation and try to reframe or rename it in a positive way. Try to find the humor in what would otherwise be a bad situation.

7. Reorganize priorities

Take a look at everything you do on a daily basis and ask yourself what is important to you in the grand plan of your life. Does this really matter if it is not accomplished today, tomorrow or ever? Look at the items of top importance to you and organize your activities in that order. Do not let the urgent interruptions of your daily routine crowd out the important priorities in your life.

8. Simplify

Once your schedule has been organized with priorities set by what is most important, it's time to simplify. What you can simplify in your life to ease stress and anxiety? Frequently things, whether material or minor activities, can contribute to stress. Extra possessions and activities can begin to dictate and control your life, urgently interrupting what is really important.

9. List/notebook

If you have multiple lists of activities and priorities on your daily schedule, it's helpful to keep a notebook of your priorities. It is also helpful to keep a small notebook handy beside your bed at night to jot down ideas that are keeping you from sleep. Another handy tool is a calendar to keep track of appointments and activities.

10. Meditation/prayer/quite time

Last but not least, take time to meditate, pray, or make some quite time to reflect or reenergize your spiritual side. As you give to others on a daily basis it is imperative that you receive a renewal and nourishing of your spiritual side.