5 Mindful Tips to Help You Deal With Holiday Stress

It’s that time of year again, the weather cools down, the leaves change color, and the holiday gathering invites start flooding in. Sounds like fun, right? Well, maybe if it didn’t come with so much holiday stress.

For many of us, the holiday season brings on stress and anxiety about all the commitments and to-do lists to get through, not to mention the inescapable spending involved.

To top it all off, the change in weather and daylight tends to made people SAD, also known as seasonal affective disorder.

So what can you do to fight the holiday stress? Read on for our favorite tips to avoid holiday stress and actually enjoy the season of joy.
 
 

Here Are 5 Mindful Ways to Fight Holiday Stress and Anxiety:

Cut back on the holiday stress and survive (and even enjoy!) the holidays with grace by following these five mindful tips.
 

1. Plan Ahead

Keep your calendar updated with all the festivities you plan to attend, but also block off time for self-care. I like to limit myself to one Halloween outing, two Thanksgiving or Friendsgiving dinners, and three winter holiday parties (one for work and two with friends and family).

Start making a list of all the people you want to buy gifts for, or even just a card if gifting isn’t your thing. Identify what outfits you have in your closet that can work for each occasion too, and keep a mental note for when those outings come along.

Are You Practicing Unhealthy Self-Care? Ask Yourself These 4 Questions
 

2. Travel Smart

If you plan to travel by plane to visit friends and family for the holidays, I swear by Honest Hazel under eye gel pads. They cool and de-puff the eyes while providing moisture during a dry flight.

Also, see holiday stress tip above: plan ahead. create a packing list on a post-it and stick it on your luggage prior to a trip. This helps with visualizing the necessities, and helps prevent the dreaded overpack.

Pack a natural hand sanitizer to keep the germs at bay during your flight, and make sure to stay hydrated. Coffee, tea, and alcohol will all dehydrate you, so be mindful of those drinks.

Stay hydrated and watch out for these 7 Surprising Signs of Dehydration and 5 Tips to Prevent It
 

3. Drink Mindfully (Say What?!)

Holidays are a time of celebration, which usually means there will be food and lots of booze. If you are drinking, make sure to eat some protein before you imbibe to slow down the alcohol from entering into your bloodstream. Pace yourself and drink plenty of water in between drinks and before bed.

It’s also helpful to take vitamins and electrolytes before bed after drinking. Vitamin B and C are great alone, but I’ve found that Morning Recovery is the best hangover hack, that blends electrolytes, vitamins and dihydromyricetin (DHM) which accelerates the break-down of alcohol so that your liver can detox more easily as you sleep.
 

4. Gift Yourself a Pampering Experience

Why buy yourself things, when you can buy yourself an experience? With all the holiday stress, booking a massage just makes sense.

If you haven’t tried it yet, acupuncture and cupping are also great ways to decompress and release toxins.
 

5. Reflect on the Year

Take a moment (or two) to pat yourself on the back for all that you’ve accomplished this year. It is no small feat to have made it this far. Indeed, it was a big year!

Write down all the things you are proud of having done, ways in which you have grown as a person, the people you want to thank in your life, and the things you want to manifest for 2019. A gratitude journal is the perfect place to do this, and maintaining a gratitude journal is a great practice year-round.
 
 

Holiday Stress: The Takeaway

The end of the year should be spent reflecting back on the year, and spending some quality time with your loved ones . . . not dealing with holiday stress.

These hacks make some stressful times more enjoyable and easier to navigate. Hopefully, these simple tips and tricks can make your holiday season that much better!

Happy holidays, yogis!

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