As the holidays get closer and workloads pile up, stress and anxiety become majorly heightened. For many, this stress makes for a much less joyful time of year.
If you want to ensure you’re keeping the holidays as stress-free as possible, take a look at a few simple ways to lessen stress.
From daily movement to nighttime journaling, following these simple steps will keep you from an overwhelming holiday season.
Make Time for Sleep
One of the biggest mistakes people make during the holidays is not prioritizing sleep. It’s understandable—there’s a lot to get done, so there’s plenty of additional stress on the plate.
Then there’s school finals or the busy season for work, and as much as you want to barrel through and pull an all-nighter, that’ll pile on more stress. Prioritize your time, plan ahead, and plan for sleep.
Try Meditation or Yoga
You’ll hear this a lot when it comes to managing stress—learn to meditate. Though it may seem like a band-aid solution, meditation and yoga are more than temporary fixes.
Once you start practicing, you’ll be able to use these methods to calm yourself during anxiety-inducing situations. Meditating before bed also provides you with a much more restful sleep!
Stay Organized
The hectic nature of the next couple of months means it’s in your best interest to stay as organized as possible. If you want to feel less cluttered in your mind, you need to take the time to lessen the clutter in your daily life.
Whether in the office or at home, take some small steps to stay organized. The more orderly you are in your personal life, the better—it’ll make the holidays much easier!
Get Moving to Combat Holiday Stress
Another tip you’ll hear everywhere when it comes to reducing stress is to exercise more, and you hear it everywhere because it’s true!
Even if you aren’t a huge exercise lover, it’s important to get in some daily movement for at least 15 to 30 minutes. Whether it’s a walk around the block or a dance video in the basement, the movement will lower your body’s stress hormones.
Make time for movement every day—your body will thank you.
Reduce Caffeine Intake
Probably one of the most important tips we can give you when it comes to lessening stress during the holidays is to lower your caffeine intake.
A lot of people make the mistake of raising their caffeine levels during this time of year, but that increase can completely shift both your daily stress and your ability to handle it. Instead of picking up another cup of joe, choose tea or even simply water!
Nighttime Journal
Journaling and writing, in general, can make a huge difference in your daily stress levels. Though it’s not the best for us, many people carry their stress and problems around every day without sharing them with anyone.
Keeping all that anxiety and worry to yourself without verbalizing it can taint your day-to-day experience. Take some time before bed to write out your worries, but even more than that, write about what makes you happy and what you’re grateful for.
This holiday season, take the time to focus on how to make yourself happier, not just those around you, and you’ll feel less stress.
