As we all know the holiday season could be a stressful time for you. Between gift-giving and all the cooking for family members and loved ones for your holiday party, it can take a toll on your mental health well-being. Family time could be so hectic, and the hustle and bustle needed to prepare for spending extended time with them and managing all of the different personalities at your holiday party. It is crucial for your well-being to be able to get some alone time during the frantic holiday season. You want to avoid a burnout and maintain healthy habits and managing holiday stress while at the same time making this the most wonderful time of the year for yourself, your loved ones and family.
Obviously, there are other stressors to be cognizant about that permeate into the holiday season. One of these may be financial stress which is extremely common unfortunately in today’s times. You want to manage your budget and set realistic expectations over how much you can spend on your gift giving.
So, during this time of year, we always like to explore some tips and products that will not only make this holiday season but the upcoming new year more comfortable for you.
Manage your Stress
As we delineated earlier this time of year brings a variety of stressors which can cause you to possibly burnout and ruin the holiday season for you. Thats why maintaining your well-being and overall health care is so important. Don’t be afraid to consult a mental health professional to assist you during this stressful time.
Speaking of well-being, you want to maintain your self-care as well. We know, the stress can make you feel like you don’t want to get out of bed. Therefore, stress management should also be at the top of your list of what you need to accomplish this holiday season. Try diaphragmatic breathing or known as deep breathing. Inhale deep into your lungs and slowly release your breath which should help you stay calm and be able to tackle all your holiday season items that have been stressors for you. There are apps available on both Android and Apple smartphones that help you keep up with proper deep breathing. So, make use of those, many of them are free.
Thankfully the American Health Care system is vast and there are a variety of options to seek out a mental health professional that accepts your health insurance. But, as we mentioned before regarding self-care, when focusing on health services you not only want to seek out a mental health professional but rather your primary care doctor as well. In combination with both doctors, they can help you deal with some of seasonal affective disorder you may be experiencing. So, hit up some support groups to help you deal with the stressors as well, these can often be recommended by your health care professional.
Keep up your physical activity this holiday season to help maintain stress. If you have workout regimen, or you just like to jog around your neighborhood, keep it up. It can calm you down while at the same time giving you the energy for everything you need to handle during the holiday season.
Obviously during the holiday season, you will be spending time with others which could be a significant amount, try and set boundaries so you are able to have your alone time and keep up your leisure activities.
Try building on what you did last year during Christmas in terms of gift giving and overall holiday season preparation and holiday parties. If you used a to-do-list which would be extremely helpful, you can do this on your smartphone for ease of use and quick reference. For example, you can use the Notes App on an Apple iPhone to make your to do list of cooking, preparation, gift giving and setting up your holiday party. What’s nice about this app is that you can easily check off when you have completed a task, and it will be removed from what is left to do.
If you follow this guide, you should experience health benefits that are present during the holiday season. Keep up your physical activity and alone time and your mood will be greatly improved as you get ready to host your holiday party.
Holiday Products
We have compiled some products which we feel will assist you in handling the stressors that pop up during the holiday season.
Set Your Mood
Set your mind and body at ease with the Diffuser Basics Ultrasonic Intelligent Aroma Humidifier. This diffuser features wonderful relaxing choices of aromas that can be used to help calm and remove stressors from your holiday season. You can choose your favorite essential or natural oil with the aroma that you prefer. Then once the diffuser is working you will see it shoot out visible vapor and relaxing effects that can improve your state of mind, it is great for your mental health and well-being. This product is available in multiple wood finishes and shapes and easily charges via a USB cable, so no worrying about stocking up on batteries for this item.
Technology Products
Another item you may want to have handy for the holiday season is a great set of wireless bluetooth headphones or earbuds. Utilize these when you want to spend some alone time relaxing this holiday season. With many of these high-end headphones and earbuds, you will have the option to activate noise cancellation. This will further tune out any distractions and alleviate your holiday stressors by sitting back and listening to your favorite audiobook or music playlist. In addition, try and explore a podcast in your streaming app that is focus on the holiday season. You may hear some good ideas to help with stress management and if you are logged into a social media site that focuses on mental health, having a great pair of headphones will allow you to focus on the content you are listening to or watching.
Overall Well Being
Maintaing your physical activity and workouts as we mentioned is crucial to help alleviate stressors during the hectic and frantic holiday season. Check out the Deco Gear Home Gym 7-Piece Fitness Kit. This is a great all-around home fitness kit that can accommodate any level of workout that you may have advanced to. Containing a set of push up bars which are great for your chest and core, as well as a weighted jump rope for a good all-around cardiovascular workout. For additional strength training there are stretch cords including upper body stretch cords and hand grips to provide resistance and build muscle during your workout. Remember, you don’t want to work out the same muscle group in consecutive days as you need at least 24 hours in between those specific workouts, so your muscle fiber can heal and grow.
Relax comfortably with a set of heated blankets or comfortable throw blanket that you can utilize while spending your relaxing alone time during the holiday season. Throw on those new headphones, lean back and relax under a cozy blanket while you watch TV, or listen to music, podcasts or just want to grab a nap. These can be healing for your aches and pains and overall, well-being.
Final Thoughts
Maintaing your healthy habits this holiday season as we approach the new year is so important to having a wonderful holiday. Keep up your physical activity and workout routine, ensure that you have alone time to relax and wind down from the frenetic pace of the holiday season and set boundaries with your family members and loved ones so you can peacefully enjoy your alone time.
Check in with your primary care physician or mental health professional for health care and advice on how to deal with stressors that arise during this time of year.
If you really focus on your stress management, you will find that not only will you enjoy this holiday season but your family, loved ones and friends whom you have over for a holiday party will as well.
Happy Holidays!
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