De-Stress the Holidays: Three Gifts to Give Yourself

The holidays bring an increase in activities- and an increase in the length of your to-do list! It’s easy to get agitated and feel robbed of the enjoyment of the season.  To sidestep the stress and restore your equilibrium, here are three gifts to give yourself:

Not Now, I’m Busy Breathing

A study by the American Psychological Association indicates that for 46% of women and 35% of men, financially-driven stress goes up during the holidays. When stressors present themselves, our breath becomes shallow (or we actually hold it), and stress increases! At any given moment, do a quick breathing exercise: Inhale through your nose on the count of 4, hold your breath for the count of 7, and exhale through your mouth on the count of 8. Do two times in succession, and as often as you think of it. Your breath will become deep, your perspective altered. Dr. Andrew Weill states the 4:7:8 technique acts as a natural tranquilizer for the nervous system.

Close the Drawer 

Don’t take your to-do list to bed. Write it down before bed and put it in a drawer and close it. Dr. Ralph Downey, Chief of Sleep Medicine at the Sleep Disorders Center at Loma Linda University Medical Center says that in doing so, you give your mind a sense of closure- the “to-do” list is done - your sleep will be better, and you’ll be more resilient tomorrow.

Thanks for “Fill in the Blank” 

You’re waiting in a long line to buy gifts. Whether people in line are rude, or you are simply thinking about all you need to get done, this is a recipe for serious agitation! Purposefully shift your focus from those things to the one thing - anything - you can be thankful for IN THE SITUATION YOU’RE CURRENTLY IN.  Focus on that one thing and keep thinking about every aspect of it, and how thankful you are. You will emerge from the store calm, resilient, and ready to tackle other things.

In a season that's about so many wonderful things, giving being one of the primary ones, be sure to take a little time (a very little- this doesn't take much!) and give at least one of these gifts to yourself. It will make a difference.