The holidays can be a very hectic time of year. From dinner parties, decorating, and preparing for the arrival of friends and family you can find yourself feeling stress that might put a damper on holiday festivities. To keep you in a balanced state of mind this upcoming holiday season, here are some helpful, holistic tips to help minimize holiday stress.
1. Aromatherapy
Aromatherapy is a great way to help maintain a relaxed and cheerful mood during holiday preparations. Aromatherapy works through stimulating receptors in the nose and sending messages to the nervous system which can cause pleasant, emotional reactions.
The following essentials oils work well to help produce feelings of peace and relaxation:
- Lavender – helps with relaxation and combats insomnia
- Yuzu – helps soothe stress and anxiety
- Bergamot – helps reduce anxiety and fatigue
Buying a diffuser or vaporizer for your home can help surround you with feelings of calm and relaxation while you tend to cleaning and preparing those amazing holiday meals.
2. Meditation
Setting some quiet time aside during your holiday preparations is a great way of rebalancing your mind, body, and spirit. Listen to some calming music and spend time focusing on your breaths in order to ward off negative feelings that might become overwhelming and stressful.
Here are some recommended guided meditation videos that you can try on your own:
- Alan Watts – 15-Minute Guided Meditation
- Sam Harris – 9-Minute Mindfulness Meditation
- Sadhguru – 20-Minute Morning and Evening Meditation
3. Herbal Teas
Herbal teas are also an excellent way to help easily maintain a calm and cheerful mood throughout the holidays. Similar to aromatherapy, herbal teas tend to have nutrients that can work to stimulate parts of your nervous system and bring relaxation.
Brew a cup of one of the following teas for you and your family:
- Peppermint – has natural menthols that help with muscle relaxation
- Chamomile – helps with insomnia
- Lemon Balm Tea – helps reduce stress hormones and fatigue
Combining herbal tea consumption with aromatherapy can boost overall benefits.
4. Herbal Supplements
Herbal supplements are supplements that are extracted from natural plants, herbs or animals. For those practicing holistic living, taking natural supplements can present similar benefits to taking industrial, pharmaceutical drugs without as many potential side-effects.
Here are some supplements that can work well at reducing anxiety and stress:
- 5-HTP – can help improve depression symptoms by boosting serotonin production
- Valerian root – boosts muscle relaxation reduces insomnia
- Cannabidiol Oil or CBD – helps manage anxiety and stress. Click here to learn more about how CBD might benefit you during this upcoming holiday season.
Although herbal supplements can be used to treat certain conditions, it is recommended to consult with your doctor before adding anything new to your current treatment regime.
Check with your doctor if you are planning to introduce new supplements to:
- adults over 65
- pregnant women
- children
5. Mindfulness
While stressful feelings tend to creep into our holidays, it is also important to realize that our expectations can often manipulate how we feel in the present moment. If you feel like the holidays will be stressful then, most likely, they will. Nipping negative feelings in the bud through mindfulness will help keep your mind centered and your thoughts at ease.
Avoid taking things too seriously and focus on the joys and beauty of the present moment. Share happy moments with the ones you love and enjoy yourself to the fullest this holiday season!
