For many of us, December is the most stressful month of the year. In addition to dealing with more obligations at home and at work, we get less and less time for our stress-relieving activities, such as working out. And if that’s not enough, it becomes a lot more tempting to pig out on holiday fare in an attempt to feel better. Naturally, it does the opposite.
Here are some things you can try to beat your share of the holiday stress.
1.)List down your priorities. That includes all the dinners, the outings, and the visits that you plan to make during the season. It helps to have them in writing—they won’t seem so daunting then, and it’ll be easier to schedule off-days for yourself.
2.)Stick to your own priorities, and not someone else’s. If you learn the art of saying no to things that’ll only give you unwanted stress, there’ll be less chances of you reaching your boiling point.
3.)Keep things simple. TV show Christmases may look perfect, but TV crew gets paid for what they do, and you don’t. Keep it simple— for instance, if you can’t gift-wrap to save your life, then use gift bags instead.
4.)Get enough sleep—six to eight hours a night should be enough. Make it a priority, as you’ll need all the energy you can get to keep up with the rush.
5.)Resist temptation; eat in moderation. If you think you’ve taken too much from the dinner table, make it a point to take a short walk after the meal to offset some of the extra weight.
6.)Get some exercise. If you can’t go to the gym, get creative—dance while cleaning up, park further from the mall entrance, and use the stairs. Moderate exercise goes a long way in killing stress.
7.)If you drink or smoke, and are planning to kick the habit for your New Year’s Resolution, then it wouldn’t be a bad idea to get a head start. Quitting these vices early on will help you deal with holiday stress in a healthier way.
8.)Laugh a little. At the end of the day, watch a funny Christmas movie. It’ll make your own troubles seem trivial.
9.)Squeeze in a few off-days in your schedule—pick a date and write “NOTHING” on it. Stay away from gift-wrapping, card-sending, or shopping on this day, and focus on getting rid of the stress you’ve built up over the past several days.
For many of us, tip #9 is nearly impossible to do. That’s why there’s tip #10.
10.)Give my Blood Pressure Program a try. Many of the exercises in my Blood Pressure Program involve the reduction of stress and strain. They don’t entail any vigorous exercise, diet change, or anything else that takes up your precious holiday time. Just a few minutes ever week will be enough for you to experience dramatic relief from stress.
My hundreds of satisfied clients will tell you that the exercises in my Blood Pressure Program works 100% of the time, and its effects last much longer than any of the previously mentioned stress-management tips. If you’re interested, you can find my Blood Pressure Program here.
Cheers and Warm Regards,
Christian Goodman
PS: I welcome your comment about this article. But if you’ve questions regarding one of my products, please follow the appropriate link at upper-right-hand side of this page and use the contact information on that site. Otherwise I might miss your question.