Keep Calm and Holiday On!

 

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It is one of the most wonderful time of the year. The last few weeks of December is nothing but smiles, joy and happiness. Or so they say… If you don’t know how to manger your holiday season effectively, you might go through a lot of stress. I’ll be honest, seeing family member day after day, getting asked the same kind of questions over and over again can be brutal. Let alone getting presents for everyone (hopefully my last blog post on the best friend gift guide helped) but going to a mall, staying within budget while picking out items you think your boyfriend might like can be challenging. So on top of all the family dinners, holiday parties, it’s important to stay healthy by keeping calm and relaxing. Today’s blog post will cover a few things you can do to help with that!                                                                                       

Online shopping has made things a whole lot easier - take advantage of that! Shopping at the mall has some advantageous, but December is the month to avoid the mall at all cost. I don't know about you, but during December, even the small malls that no one goes to are crowded. If you shop from home you can save time and less stressed about the crowds, products in stock, and might even help you save some money too. If you are in trouble for a last minute gift, checkout Amazon Prime for express shipping. A lot of websites also has a countdown on the "last date" to order for it to arrive by Dec 25. 

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 Get those Christmas cards rolling now! Writing 20 cards the day before Christmas or a few minutes before a dinner can be so stressful. If you write them all ahead of time it will save you from that. It will also help create a list of the gifts you need to buy too. Plus, the handwriting in the card might be a little less sloppy this year. 

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 Manager your health! Believe it or not, seasonal affective disorder (SAD) is a thing. To ease this, spend some time outdoors, sunshine and fresh air will help with relaxation. Try ditching the pumpkin spice candles and trade it in for a citrus fragrance. Citrus is known to boost feelings of well-being and help alleviate stress. Even a quick sniff of a lemon or orange essential oil would help. Make time for exercising, get your new year goal started early! With all the eating and drinking, exercise will help keep your body in shape but also help reduce stress as it burns off hormones such as cortisol and adrenaline. This will help with mood enhancing!

Keep your drinking to a limit at the holiday dinners. Although you might have heard that alcohol, especially that cup of wine will help distress, I would have to disagree during the Holiday season. Avoid excessive alcohol because it will dehydrate your body and make your liver work overtime. Try drinking more water or juice to keep hydrated. this will help cope better with stressful situations.

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Enjoy the holiday season and don’t forget to stay calm and relax!