Here are tips for beating holiday stress, so you can enjoy Christmas and Thanksgiving with your family and friends.
What Causes Holiday Stress?
While the holidays are closely associated with joy, peace, and goodwill toward people, they can also be a time when people experience anxiety. According to a study performed recently, 77% of people experience difficulty relaxing during this season. Here are a few of the reasons people struggle to find peace this time of year:
- 56% of people say finances stress them out this time of year
- Almost half say finding the perfect gift is stressful
- Over a third of people find family gatherings to be stressful
- 29% struggle with the stress of putting up decorations
- Almost 88% believe the holidays to be the most stressful time of year
Do the holidays have to be so stressful? Is there anything you can do to make holidays more relaxing?
Tips for Beating Holiday Stress
Now is the time to take steps toward beating holiday stress. Here are six tips for finding relaxation and peace during this time of year:
1. Know Your Stress Triggers
If you know what invites stress into your holiday season, you can take steps to mitigate participation in those things. For example, last-minute shopping can be chaotic, so try to space your gift purchasing out across the next two months.
2. Stick to Your Diet and Exercise Routine
When you are running around shopping and attending holiday parties, it can be easy to suspend your nutrition and physical fitness goals. You don’t have time to exercise, and there is too much food around to stick to your diet.
Nutritious food and physical activities can help you relax, so try your best to keep up with your diet and exercise, even if you have to be a little flexible.
3. Travel on Less Busy Days
Travel is more challenging and risky during certain days of the holiday season. The day before and Sunday after Thanksgiving are two of the busiest and deadliest days of the year on the road. The same is true for Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve.
Avoid traveling on stressful travel days if at all possible.
4. Skip What You Can Skip
Do you feel obligated to attend every holiday party to which you’re invited? It is OK to politely decline some of the Christmas parties in favor of spending time with your family or just resting.
5. Don't Overthink Gifts
Does trying to find or think of the perfect gift for the people in your life keep you up at night? Try not to overthink Christmas gifts. People are grateful you’re thinking of them, so try to keep it simple.
You might even consider, in lieu of a material present, giving the gift of your time and scheduling coffee or lunch during the season or in the new year.
6. Visit the Chiropractor
When you are stressed, you might be wearing it on your back and spine. Visit your trusted chiropractor to find relief from pain and to help you relax.
Start Getting Stress Relief Now!
In a previous article, we wrote about six pain-related New Years’ resolutions for those who have experienced the most stressful time of the year. But you don’t have to wait till the New Year to start getting relief.
If you live in the Asheville area or you are visiting western North Carolina for the holidays, you need a chiropractor you can trust. Monitto Chiropractic has decades of experience performing chiropractic adjustments and helping people feel better.
Chiropractic care is a holistic way of looking at health and wellness. Sometimes, your spine wears your stress, and you need help getting relief. We are here to help.
For holiday stress relief, contact us to schedule your visit, so you can begin enjoying the holidays the way you should.