7 Top Tips for Navigating Holiday Stress
It’s the holiday season, which means stress for most. Whether it’s the shopping, or entertaining, spending time with your least favourite family members or running between holiday gatherings, it’s a new level of busy and stress usually follows.
Most holiday parties that I go to involve getting myself and the kids out the door by a particular time, cleaned up, dressed, with two matching socks on. That in itself is a whole load of stress before navigating the party dynamics!
Here are some top tips to keep you sane this holiday season:
Take a deep breath.
Whatever is thrown at you will pass. You get to choose how you respond to what’s going on so take a deep breath and let it go.
Don’t overbook.
You don’t have to say yes to every social gathering and obligation. Saying no is good for your health. Choose your priorities and let the rest go. You really don’t have to do it all (and yes I’m still working on this one too).
Start with raw fruit or veggies.
When you sit down to eat, chose raw fruit or veggies to nibble first. They contain their own enzymes and will aid digestion. This will help your body to absorb more nutrients. It’s always faster to grab a banana or apple to munch on when you can anyway.
Try digestive enzymes.
Support your body’s digestive system and give it a bit of a break from breaking down all that food (which can get heavy at holiday parties). Take these at the beginning of a meal as they contain what your digestive system should be producing. We can order these for you. Just email us for more details!
Don’t neglect your workout routine.
Exercise is known as a powerful fighter of holiday weight gain, but it is also an important stress-buster. When things get busy, it is even more important that you stick with your workout routine. Don’t wait for the New Year! Mix cardio with weight training or try a yoga class. Aim to work out first thing in the morning. It’ll give you more energy, balance those stress hormones and release feel-good endorphins. And you can’t bail on it because it’s done!
Get some of sleep.
Let’s face it, sleep is the foundation of our health and it supports every part of our body, including the digestive system. Nothing works well when you are surviving on a lack of sleep. I feel crabby, lose patience and don’t cope when I’m getting 5 hours a night. It messes up my hormones and digestion. Take one or two nights and get your head down on that pillow two or three hours earlier than usual. A 20 minute power nap also does wonders. Set your timer for 25 minutes to allow a few minutes to fall asleep and one or two to wake. You’ll be amazed at your productivity afterwards. And no groggy feeling either.
Set better conditions for eating.
Grabbing something and eating in the car, by your computer (as I’m doing right now) or making a meal of the party canapes isn’t ideal. Remember that when you are under stress, your digestive system shuts off. Sit when you can. Think about eating and take a few deep breaths before you tuck in. Limit multitasking and don’t eat on the run. If you find holiday gatherings really stressful, eat alone in a quiet place a few hours before leaving.
There may not be a way to completely avoid the stress of the holidays but I hope the above tips might help both you and your digestive system to cope better so you aren’t missing out on important nutrients. Looking for a powerful snack to fuel you through the rush? Take a look at our best snacks post. Click HERE for a healthy Granola Bar Recipe and HERE for a yummy popcorn recipe! Also if you are interested in healthier holiday baking try out these tips, HERE!
Watch our video that will put you on the right track to a more festive holiday season. It includes tips, tricks and fun activities for the kids as well as how to help stay healthy throughout this very busy time!
