7 De-stress Tips for the Holidays

1. Make a To-Do-List: When we can prioritize what needs to get done and make a plan, it prevents us from getting overwhelmed.  Yes, you have a lot of things you need to get done for others, but please don’t forget to take at least 30 minutes a day to do something for yourself.  Make it a priority by adding it to your to-do-list.  It doesn’t have to be anything big either.

2. Get plenty of sleep: I don’t know about you, but I am a night owl and tend to get my second wind around 10:00 pm.  I get a lot done late at night, but then I am just exhausted the next day.  Not getting enough sleep can make anxiety worse, making it harder to stay focused and grounded.

3. Exercise: is a great way to relieve stress.  Many times we tell ourselves that we don’t have time to exercise, but how much time do we waste on social media?   I know I am guilty of that.  Turn off your phone and go for a walk.  Breaking a sweat relieves stress, anxiety, and puts us in a better mood.

4. Relax: I love to give myself an evening where I can pamper myself.  I like to draw a bath, put on a facial masque and read a good book.  Whatever it is you love to do, make time for it.  Life is stressful and we never know what is ahead of us, but living in the moment and doing something for ourselves is important.

5. Donate to your favorite charity:  I love picking a child’s tag off a tree and buying a Christmas present for them.  Doing nice things for others is a great way of reminding ourselves that we are truly blessed in our lives.

6. Make a gratitude list: It is so easy to focus on what we don’t have and what is going wrong in our lives. Finding something each and every day, no matter how small it may be, that you are grateful for makes all the little things we are stressing over seem small.

7. Make time for your family and friends: I spend so much time trying to make everything perfect, that I forget that the whole part of the holidays is spending it with the people we love.  I realize family can drive us crazy sometimes, I know mine can, but they are not always going to be around.  Making memories is so much more important than spending money on gifts. And turn off your phones so you can be present and have quality time with others.  Sometimes I miss the days before cell phones where you went out with your friends and they were not glued to their phones.