5 Tips For Staying Ahead Of Holiday Season Stress

Whether you’re ready for it or not, the holiday season is just around the corner.  For some people, this can be a time of overwhelm and stress.

Here are some practical tips that will help you cope, manage or even prevent stressful situations and the effects of stress on your well-being during this holiday season:

1. Exercise:  Go for a walk, a light run, do jumping jacks or push-ups.  Other ideas are home-based exercise programs, going to a gym, rock climbing or playing a favourite sport.  Whatever form of exercise you choose, it will certainly get you feeling better and it’s a great way to release stress.

2. Eat Good Wholesome Foods: More fruits and vegetables are a must in your diet.  They have nutrients, minerals, vitamins and antioxidants that help support your body.  Smoothies, juicing and “green” shakes are easy ways of getting more fruits and vegitables in your diet. 

3. Get Complete With Any Disagreements: Relationships are a huge source of stress for many people, whether it is family, spouses, friends or co-workers.  Restoring a relationship with another person is many times just a conversation away.  Forgiveness is the key, not the blame-game.  Take time to have that overdue conversation.

4. Create Goals: This is a powerful way to take control of your life and create the life you want.  Goals give you a direction in life. You will bust through stressful situations faster when you know you are on a journey to creating the life of your dreams and vision.

5. Chiropractic Care: One of the many benefits of chiropractic care is a better ability to handle stress.  Stress activates the nervous system, gets you in a flight or fight response and increases stress hormones (cortisol and epinephrine). On an ongoing bases, this can be damaging to your body.  Chiropractic helps restore balance and harmony to the nervous system. If you are under chiropractic care, keep up your check-ups and adjustments.  If you are not under chiropractic care, this is a perfect time of year to get a chiropractic check-up.

Do a self-inventory.  How is stress affecting you right now? Where are the sources of stress? How can you apply these tips to make your life and your holiday season stress-free?