Stress happens even during happy occasions. Between travel, visitors, altered schedules, and excessive eating Thanksgiving can add stress or strain to your mind and body. Preparing ahead of time can help make the difference between a happy, healthy holiday and a sad, sick one. Putting a few effective stress management tools in your personal wellness kit makes good “self-care sense”. If you’re a stress management newbie, prepare yourself with a few of these tried and true stress busters:
1) Breathing: It’s easy, free, and portable. Slow, deep breaths help calm your body and mind. Whether you’re hyperventilating in anticipation of diving into grandma’s signature apple pie or you’re seething because a relative just made their annual comment about how much you ate, slow deep breaths work. For a review of how to do effective stress managing breaths read Breathing 101.
2) Set boundaries: Know your limits. You’re the best judge of how much food, alcohol or small talk you handle at one time. Making sure you don’t overdo it will help reduce stress to your body and mind.
3) Stay in the Moment: If you know you’re going to interact with someone who pushes your buttons, don’t get yourself wound up remembering every obnoxious comment he’s ever made. Take each moment as it comes. Maybe this year will be different. It will be if you handle it a new way.
4) Be prepared: Creating a plan to deal with the above mentioned person can help you feel less like a kid waiting to be ambushed by a bully and more like a grounded, empowered adult. Make a plan to calmly set boundaries or address unwanted comments if they occur. You can also minimize the likelihood of having stressful interactions by strategically planning to keep a healthy distance.
5) Get enough sleep: You’ll be able to handle more things physically, mentally, and emotionally if you’re well rested. Getting sleep afterward can also help you recover from strenuous holiday activities.
Be well.
© 2012 Donna L. Hamilton, MD
A wellness thought leader, she champions a comprehensive approach to health by addressing mental, emotional, social, spiritual & physical well-being with a simple and potent message. Her book Wellness Your Way offers a practical strategy to assist readers in creating a happier, healthier life. For more information or to book Dr. Hamilton for speaking engagements visit www.ManifestExcellence.com or www.DonnaHamiltonMD.com
- 10 Quick, Easy Holiday Self-Care Tips - December 15, 2017
- Health Benefits of Kindness and Compassion - June 3, 2017
- Why Self-Care is Good for Your Health - May 10, 2017
