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It’s that frantic time at the end of the year and while juggling all the errands, business travel and family demands, I hope you’ve saved some time for yourself.
Listen to this post on the Gathering Road Podcast!
It’s that frantic time at the end of the year and while juggling all the errands, business travel and family demands, I hope you’ve saved some time for yourself. Staying in balance may take a bit more effort at this season but if you are able to get enough rest, exercise and not overdo tasty temptations, you will end up with more to give and leave holiday stress in the dust.
Don’t be a Grinch!
Here’s a few suggestions to help you take care of #1 & avoid holiday stress:
- Whenever you think about it, take a few moments to consciously breathe.
- Feel your feet on the ground and sit or stand a little taller.
- Relax your jaw, wiggle your head a bit to ease your neck, do a few shoulder rolls to release tension.
- Settle in for a moment and ask yourself – what do I need right now? The language of the body is feeling but we too often drown the whispers of discomfort out and wonder why we’re suddenly tired, ravenously hungry or suddenly in pain. So spend a few seconds and listen deeply.
- Drink plenty of water – it will help to flush the extra sweets or salty foods you may have been snacking on and will help you fight fatigue.
- Get extra rest when you can – catnap, sleep a bit later if you feel tired and get to bed early on the nights you’re able. To help you sleep, don’t go to bed with a full tummy and drink water to help flush alcohol out of your system.
- Balance event nights where you’re running about with stay-home or quiet time to re-charge.
- When traveling, give yourself the gift of extra time – allow more time to get everywhere.
- If you’re driving or flying, bring a few healthy snacks so you don’t get overly hungry which can lead to poor choices where you shovel anything in your mouth to fill your tummy. You’ll save money too or have more to spend on meals that you’ll truly enjoy later. Your body will thank you for it.
- If you’re spending time with family and friends that you rarely visit with, work to really see them and marvel at their presence in your life. If there’s friction it will help you to not take things personally and enjoy the time together more. If we can just appreciate our loved ones for who they are, then it will be easier to keep the peace and not doing anything we might regret.
- Remember to breathe deeply, stretch often and live well. Check out our website, www.DrivetimeYoga.com for more travel ease tips and gifts.
Enjoy your time off and never again succumb to holiday stress. Happy Holidays!
For travel ease gifts, audio and aromatherapy, visit my website: www.DrivetimeYoga.com
I hope you found this helpful. Please share! It’ll make my holiday brighter.
Great advice, Elaine. You sound like a Yoga instructor (which you are, ha,ha,ha, !). I wish I would have read your post before the Holidays.
Thanks, Anda. I have Yoga in my blood after practicing for decades but don’t teach any longer. It’s a big part of what keeps me going.
Great tips! We aren’t traveling during the holidays, but still with a child being out of school, working from home and trying to fit in everything to do with the holidays, it definitely does become super stressful. Always good to remember to take care of yourself in little ways to help avoid meltdowns!
You’re in the thick of it. I hope you find space for yourself.
Indeed, it can be very stressed… thanks for advises! 🙂
May your journeys be easy.
You have some great tips! I’m not one of those who gets extra stressed out during the holidays, which I’m glad about. But there was still a few good ones that I’m gonna try to remember!
Thanks, Helena, I’m glad you found some of this helpful.
Based on the list, drinking plenty of water is something that I don’t do much and need to be more conscious of, not just whilst travelling but also on daily basis.
Yep! Hydration, or lack of it, can lead to more stress on our systems than we’re usually aware of. On long flights I carry a small refillable and ask for refills from flight attendants or walk back to get my own. It’s helped so much.
Yep, breath in and out and realize that no matter the stress, it’ll be over soon! 🙂 Christmas is a great time of the year but it can also take a toll on all of us and it is important to remember to simply enjoy
Thanks, Mar. You are a wise woman!
These are all great tips in not only reducing holiday stress, but also living a healthier life in general. Drinking plenty of water is key to help the body out, no matter what we try to do to it with over-indulging!
You are so right! We’re mostly made of water and it’s a simple task to replenish ourselves before we get stressed. Thanks.
Indeed very helpful. I am an anxious person all the time and am all ears for anything that helps me become calmer and less stress-ridden. #5 and 9 are my culprits most of the time!
So glad to hear you find these tips helpful. Would never know you are anxious from the glowing, happy pictures on your blog!
I like number four – “what do I need right now?” With so much rush and hassle, it’s important to give your body what it needs.
Thanks Lesley, I forget that simple query too often. I write what I need to remember myself!
Basically, what I hear you saying is create balance! It is so true to remember to slow down, breath and not get overwhelmed (whether it’s Xmas or any other time of the year!) It’s a great reminder for all of us who get a little too caught up in moment 😉 For people traveling over the holidays, here are my tips on how to survive being away from home on the holidays http://www.economicalexcursionists.com/five-ways-on-how-to-survive-the-holidays-abroad-and-away-from-home/
Thanks, LeAnna, I appreciate your comments. Good things to remember any time of year indeed.
Year by year I’m educating my mom not to cook xmas dinner for like 20 people if we’re only 10. As each day we eat with different family members, each one cooks too much and after our 4 days at home, I feel like I have eaten for the whole month 😉 I will keep on eye on food this year and drink extra water.
Thanks for the tips!
Oh Shere, my family and mom especially used to be that way. Now when I host family holiday dinners and invite a lot of people everyone goes home with baggies full of leftovers to enjoy. Got to get them out of the house!
We try to adhere to all these excellent tips, but our most important is to smile and laugh whenever possible and encourage those around you to do same 🙂 Merry Christmas xxxxxxx
Thanks, Stefan, Merry Christmas to you too. Laughter is the greatest gift and you just gave me that.
Great points. This time of year is crazy busy and this year especially so for me. I don’t get ‘home’ until December 18 so I have a ton of organizing to do before then and can already the stress building in my back and shoulders! For sure I need to drink more water.
Pace yourself! (I have to remind myself too.) Happy holidays all the same. The best part is being with friends and family anyway, preparations or not.
I’m not very much into Christmas, so my holidays are probably a lot less stressful than others. It doesn’t make sense to me to overstress about some things – like gift buying and having up all the decorations. We should try to enjoy it more and stress about it less. So great tips on trying to be present in the moment and really feel what you’re doing.
Thanks, Laura, my holidays swing from crazy busy one year to pretty relaxed the next depending on which family members are coming through town. I have to remind myself of every one of these tips still!
Such important information! I love the idea of feeling your feet on the ground and
relaxing your jaw. Those two things make such a difference for me!
Thanks, Alexa, glad you liked those tips and use them yourself.