Holiday Stress Reduction Tips!
By: 2SC Staff
The holiday season often brings some unwanted guests, and I’m not talking about your mother-in-law. I’m talking about something a bit more serious: anxiety and depression. That’s right, we are talking about holiday stress.
When you think about it, the holidays require you get a ton of things done! Some of these tasks include shopping, cooking, cleaning, entertaining, and banking. Add them all up and it is enough to stress anyone out. But fret not because holiday stress can be minimized with some practical coping tips.
Let’s take a closer look at our top three suggestions for minimizing your holiday stress so you can go about the business of having a more enjoyable season.
1. Exercise to Beat the Holiday Blues
Exercising has been proven to reduce the amount of stress one experiences. Whether you’ve been bitten by the holiday blues or are suffering from a major depression, the heart pounding and sweating that comes along with working out can benefit you.
A decrease in depression can be produced by a quick and easy exercise routine. And the best thing is that you don’t have to resort to antidepressants to help you cope with stress.
Now, I’m not suggesting that exercising will replace any prescriptive treatment from your doctor if you’re suffering from PTSD. However, it will surely help out a bit. Make sure you get the greenlight from your doc before starting any exercise program.
2. Set Aside Your Differences
Even if you have family members who don’t live up to your expectations or annoying aunts and uncles whom you absolutely detest, try your best to accept them as they are. Alternatively, you can just avoid meeting up with them if you just can’t stand them.
Do what works for you, but understand that during the holiday season, it’s good to set aside your grievances until a more appropriate time. Try to understand if others get distressed or upset too because everyone is as stressed as you are during this period.
3. Stick to Your Budget
As weird as it sounds, some of your holiday stress will elevate after the holidays are over. Many people end up overspending during the holidays, and this may cause problems between you and your spouse.
In order to avoid arguments, make a budget and stick to it before the holidays come around. A few months before your holiday starts, begin setting aside a couple of dollars each month so that you won’t end up under-budgeting and overspending.
Proper planning is one of the 7 secrets to attracting wealth anyway – so why not attract some your way?
Final Thoughts
Many people find it helpful to receive counseling during the holiday season to learn practical ways of dealing with stress. This point is particularly true if this time of year brings up difficult memories from the past or if you are working through pain and loss.
Women in particular, who often hold the brunt of holiday task related activities, may find talk-therapy to be highly beneficial.
Finally, if you are just looking for a place to check-out of the hustle and bustle of the season, make sure you stop by our Zen Meditation Room online. It’s a great place to relax and restore!
Thanks for taking time to read this post. We hope you found this information useful. Please Like 2nd Story Counseling on Facebook, Circle us on Google Plus and share on Twitter!