STRESS FREE HOLIDAYS
The “happiest time of the year” is here. The Holiday season brings family members together, smiles to little ones faces, parties and celebrations galore. However, tagging along with all the fun is the seasonal stress of the endless to-do lists; shopping sprees for loved ones, preparing for parties, in-town relatives and keeping up with family customs… it can all take a toll on your health if you don’t slow it down.
Stress. What you may not know about this nasty five-letter word is that the amount of stress that lingers in your life is not due to the destined circumstances brought upon you, but rather how you react to each situation. Stress and anxiety not only drain us mentally but also make us more vulnerable to colds, flus and multitude of chronic or life threatening diseases. As if that isn’t bad enough, stress hormones that are produced when we are in a negative mental state are linked to excessive belly fat and may hinder us from losing inches around our waistline. Because of this, stress management should become a part of our daily lives within our health and fitness routine. Without it you may be keeping yourself from reaching your goals. Enjoy and exercise these helpful tips in your life to release your stress and retain your health.
Sweat off the Petty Stuff
Cardiovascular activity has been proven to lower levels of stress, release anxiety and even help with depression. Get your heart pumping by doing something you enjoy. Don’t add on the burden of doing an activity you dread like running aimlessly on a treadmill, if that’s not your forte. Instead, take a bike ride with a loved one in the cooler part of the day or strap on your hiking boots and get out into nature. Whatever it is, try to keep your heart rate up to the point that it’s difficult to hold a conversation and sweat your worries away.
Rest in Savasana whether you take a full yoga class, or simply lay your yoga mat down in your living room, taking a few minutes in this age old pose will help calm your nerves and clear your mind. Just simply lay on your back with your palms to the ceiling, your heels together and your feet relaxed to the sides. Focus on your breath, and try to clear your mind of everything, yes everything. In our crazy lives, this can be the most difficult yoga pose of all, but once you have mastered it, it is divine.
Mandate a Mantra
Devise an affirmation — a short, clear, positive statement that focuses on your coping abilities. For example, “I feel calm. I can handle this.” Continue to repeat this statement and soon your words will become your wisdom. You will begin to feel calmer and gain the strength to handle the situation. The mind and the body are interlinked in magnificent ways. Start reassuring the mind through these affirmations and the stress in your body will also begin to drift away.
Jot it Down
Writing provides perspective. Putting ink to paper can help you realize that an issue may not as bad as you had once thought. Thoughts can linger in our minds, expanding overtime. Jotting down your emotions can help relieve you of the burden of caring around those negative thoughts. Put it in writing and then let it go.
No Means No
If you consider yourself a people pleaser and take on the daunting task of making everyone else happy all the time, you may find that at the end of the day the only one not happy is yourself. Trying to do everything is a sure fire way to serious stress. Be clear about your limits, and think about your health before committing too much. An easier way to get out of adding more to your schedule is letting the person know that you would love to help out but you just have too much on your plate at the moment. Make sure to let them know to ask you again if something comes up in the future when you may be free. They should understand and you will have one less to-do item to worry about.
Focus on the Positive
Happy people are healthy people. Studies have shown that people who are happy, lively, calm or exhibit other positive emotions are less likely to become ill when they are exposed to a cold virus than those who express few of these emotions. People aren’t born positive and positive people aren’t just lucky individuals who happen to have perfect lives. Being positive is a choice of reaction and a choice of focus. To be a positive person it is imperative to seek out the silver lining in every situation and to be truly grateful for the good things that come your way. So slip on those rose colored glasses and cheers to your health.
Smell the Roses…
… and lavender, basil, chamomile, eucalyptus, and peppermint. All these scents help to calm the mind and put you in a tranquil state. Using essential oils throughout your day can help raise your spirits and lower your blood pressure. Dab a couple drops of peppermint into carrier oil, rub into the palms of your hands and breathe in deeply. Place a few drops of lavender into a nice hot bath and soak your worries away. Put some chamomile in your dryer with your sheets and sleep soundly at night. A little dab’ll do ya a lotta good.
Tea Time
Chamomile, Passionflower, Skullcap, and Kava Kava are wonderful teas that will sooth your taste buds and your mind. The warmth and properties of these flowers and herbs is the perfect combo to unwind and release any stress you may have. Try steeping one teaspoon per cup of boiling water for at least ten minutes to receive the full benefit of these incredible herbs. Sip to a stress free day.
That’s a Stretch
Muscles tighten up during the day and especially when we are feeling stressed out. Stretching loosens muscles and allows oxygenation. Try a yoga position called child’s pose to lengthen your back muscles after a long day of sitting at a desk. Kneel down on a rug or mat, sit back on your heels, lean forward extending your arms out in front of you with your palms down and relax your head down to the ground, touching your forehead to the floor. Hold for one to three minutes as you breathe deeply.
Give it Up
To God that is. This is the first thing I try to do. Let go of my worries, because ultimately I know I am not in control. This is a Bible verse I go back to every time I feel the anxiety creeping up on me. “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him and he will make your paths straight. ” –Proverbs 3:5-6. I inevitably feel better knowing that someone else is looking out for my best interest allowing me to let it go.
Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!!
SoTru Blog Curator | Lauren McBride
Like my page http://www.facebook.com/HoliFit for more fun and easy tips to staying lean, healthy and stress free into the New Year!
In Health and Happiness,
facebook.com/LaurenMcBride
twitter.com/HoliFitGirl
youtube.com/HoliFitGirl
www.sotru.com
facebook.com/sotru
twitter.com/sotrutweet
flickr.com/sotru
youtube.com/sotrutube
Leave a Reply
Staying Focused During the Holidays
So it’s that time of the year again. Most of us have a million and one things going on, and our brains forgot to mentally prepare us for the holidays. It seems like we ring in the New Year one second, and the next thing you know another one has flown by! Turkey, stuffing, potatoes, and pies are right before us. For some of you, it’s just another season passing by. But for most of us, it is another season full of social gatherings, sweet temptations, last minute cocktail parties, and shopping deals that can leave you waiting in line all day long! READ MORE
Standing out from the Rest!
I don’t know if you take your vitamins or not, but I really believe that they help fill in the gaps to my sometimes not-so-great eating habits (restaurant reviewing doesn’t always entail a ton of vegetables and healthy lean proten).
But not all vitamins are created equal. That’s why I like SoTru. Their products are high quality, yet affordable. They also don’t work with third parties, so they are hands on throughout the process. READ MORE
Protect Yourself
October is breast awareness month, as you most likely know, due to the overwhelming use of the color pink in everything from sports uniforms, tennis rackets and golf balls to yogurt cups, bottled water and just about any other consumer item you can find. It’s the time that we celebrate those we love who have won the battle and remember those we’ve lost. It’s a time to walk miles to raise money and wear silly bracelets that spell out “I love boobies” to show we care.
Socialize