EMB #471: Reduce Stress For The Holidays

Even though the holidays is supposed to be the most joyous time of year, it can certainly be the most stressful. So we put together a check list for you to follow, to help you keep your stress levels low at this time of year.

 

 

Exercise is the #1 way to reduce stress!

 

Unfortunately it seems as though exercise is the first to go when we're stressed out. Do yourself a favour, get to exercising to prevent too much stress, and when that stress arrives, don't miss out on any of your workouts.

 

 

Breathing Exercises

 

This is another great way to reduce stress. There are many different ways to practice breathing. The easiest one is, breathe in for a count of 5, hold for a count of 5 and breathe out for a count of 5.

 

Try this cycle 10 times around and watch that stress melt away!

 

 

Reduce Alcohol Consumption

 

Easier said than done especially during the holidays. We're not saying don't drink at all. What we're saying is, you don't have to over indulge every night. You don't have to have an alcoholic beverage every time you watch a movie, wrap presents (or open them ;)), or every time you visit family.

 

Many people don't know alcohol contributes to stress, anxiety and depression. So skip the booze blues this year and try a different type of beverage.

 

 

Create Healthy Habits

 

More people than we know create unhealthy habits at this time of year. So why not flip the script and start creating healthy habits. It'll make starting out in the New Year that much easier!

 

Create healthy habits like some of the exercises on this list to reduce your holiday stress.

 

 

Add quality foods to your diet

 

I know that we'd rather not think about better nutrition at this time of the year. We want the appetizers and pie's and drinks. But we should really consider adding quality foods to our diet.

 

Quality foods will help reduce stress, they will help heal your body and they'll even put you in a better mood, especially when things are a bit more stressful during the holidays.