The holiday season is said to bring joy and laughter to us all. When in reality, there are a great deal of us who can’t seem to manage holiday stress.
This period unknowingly requires a great deal of patience and self-awareness. We are in the height of the global pandemic that is causing shipping delays. Worldwide, we feel the pressure to safely gather as a group this year. Be gentle with yourself as feelings of anxiety and stress may develop.
Being intentional in your planning will help you manage holiday stress.
We cannot cure the world of sorrows, but we can choose to live in joy.
–Joseph Campbell
Here are the seven proven tips for managing holiday stress
Stick to a Budget to manage holiday stress
Gathering during the holiday season doesn’t mean you have to break the bank! Be mindful of the number of guests you are expecting and decide on the right budget. Use to-do lists and reminders to keep up with grocery and gift shopping tasks.
Homemade gifts will cut down on unnecessary spending. Besides, you can start a family gift exchange or you can donate to a charity in someone’s name. Whatever you choose to do, ensure you don’t spend more than you planned for.
Check out our Pinterest board for Homemade Holiday Gifts. The fire starters and homemade potpourri in mason jars are my Favorite.
Change your mindset
The fact of the matter is, everything does not always go as planned. There are unknown factors that can turn your holiday plans upside down.
Create a realistic plan to consider everyone’s safety and budget this year. A little empathy can go a long way. Just as easy as it is to become stressed, you can also stress out those around you. Don’t be that person.
Whether you are picked to prepare a staple holiday dish, or you dread the presence of that one Aunt who can never seem to find something nice to say, plan ahead.
Stress is often the result of a chain of negative thoughts that your brain ultimately buys into. If you are stressed, then you have some idea of what is to come. Use your time wisely by planning your menu or an escape route, in advance. Get out ahead of your stress instead of allowing it to cripple you.
Identify the cause of your stress and concern, and try to find solutions before you are placed in the situation. Instead of numbing your thoughts and the chemistry they create, train your mind to realign your thoughts to help you manage holiday stress.
Here is a great video that elaborates on this train of thought:
Use Calming Herbs. and Minerals
Herbal teas and mineral baths are an excellent way to ease mental chatter and manage holiday stress.
Later in the post, you will see a reference guide to stress reducing herbs titled 5 herbs to help manage holiday stress. Combine your own powerful stress relief herbal tea and baths using this list.
Herbs such as Lavender, Chamomile, Hibiscus, Catnip, and Lemon Balm are carefully considered herbs that offer safe stress relief. Hibiscus and chamomile flavored teas are stress-soothing, making them the best to manage holiday stress.
Magnesium is the most critical mineral of all for coping with stress. Bathing in Epsom salt and herbs provides your body with the comfort it needs to continue a bit less stressed.
At our sister store Lillie Bee’s Organics, you can purchase your mineral baths and stress relieving teas today.
Maintain Healthy Habits
Listen close, YOU cannot pour from an empty cup! While it is nice to operate with a giving spirit, don’t forget you are the #1 Player on the team. If you are not taken care of, and I mean taken care of well, you likely won’t be able to give and do as much as you’d hoped.
Keeping your wellness routines in place can help you manage holiday stress and your overall mood. Overindulgence on the other hand, will increase your holiday stress levels and guilt. Monitor your alcohol and tobacco intake and be sure to get enough sleep. Eat healthy meals, exercise, and have regular physical activities.
Sacrificing your wellness routines can ultimately equate to you sacrificing your wellness. Put yourself first by honoring or creating routines that will allow you to be intentional about your desire to live-life-well. Even on the holiday.
An abrupt change in your daily routine can cause your body to stress as well. Which can cause stress eating, and the cycle begins.
Maintain healthy habits with these stress fighting herbs to keep anxiety away.
Speak to Someone
The benefits of speaking out loud are evident, yet many people quote it as a waste of time. Talking helps—whether you’re talking to a therapist, family member, or a friend. As long as they are a healthy support system for you, share how the holiday plans are going. Ask for help from those more experienced than yourself and those who can help to release some of the hectic decisions making.
When you ask for help, it doesn’t make you vulnerable. Instead, it leaves you a better person. Talking is relieving; you will quiet your emotions, welcome inner peace, and ultimately feel better. All you need is to open up to a listening person.
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Aromatherapy
Traditional methods of stress management like aromatherapy have been used to reset the energy of a room for thousands of years. Aromatherapy uses extracts from plants known as essential oils. The treatment offers overall better moods within a short time.
Use the oils by adding them to water in a diffuser or add them to a carrier oil for breathable relief. You can also add the oils to your bathwater, inhale the steam when mixed with hot water, or spray them on your fabrics.
Essential oils are made from tree parts like roots, peels, bark, and petals, also from herbs and flowers. The treatment process involves the awakening of the limbic part of your brain. Calm and relaxing messages are sent to your brain. That stimulation fights anxiety, reduces holiday stress and gives you a happy mood—eventually, they give you a relaxed body.
If you have a problem using aromatherapy, a licensed aromatherapist can help you.
Use Cannabis CBD Oil
After taking all of the steps above, you may still have nervous anxiety as your event begins. If you are comfortable, consider trying CBD oil to calm your nerves.
CBD oil is becoming a trendy product in the market. The oil is made from naturally occurring products from the cannabis plant’s leaves and flowers. Some health benefits include reduced anxiety which causes stress, eased pain caused by inflammation, reduced muscle pain, and insomnia.
But as with other beneficial food supplements, start slowly and inform yourself with any CBD products. Keep in mind the effectiveness of the CBD depends on the dosage per individual. Within fifteen minutes of use, you should feel better and relaxed when properly dosed. Control the daily usage and apply more if there’s a need.
Sometimes the stress you get from planning for a holiday is not worth it. But if the worst happens, ask for help by calling a professional therapist. Therapy will help you come up with ways of understanding how best to manage holiday stress.
Live a healthy lifestyle and be true to yourself. Work within your budget to minimize holiday stress. Leave alone what does not serve you well during this time, and realize that there is true joy in maintaining your Peace!