The holidays can be one of the most stressful times of the year. Not only are you likely around more family members, but there is also added stress from trying to get your work done, entertaining guests, going to social events, and more. Overall, the holiday season while fun can be a rollercoaster of emotions and in some cases may be difficult to deal with.
While stress can at times be a positive internal motivator, too much stress can lead to a number of issues and make it difficult for some people to function properly.
Tips For Relaxation
While the holidays can be stressful, there are a number of things you can do to negate this stress and overcome the problem.
Physical Fitness
One of the best ways to reduce stress that you are feeling around the holiday season, or any time, is to exercise. Physical activity and getting the blood flowing will help improve not only physical health but mental health as well. Exercise is a great stress reliever as it allows the body to exert itself and push itself to new limits.
There are certain exercises that may even help more than others. For instance, yoga and tai chi are mindfulness techniques that you can use to improve your overall mental health and make it easier for you to relax your body and mind.
Along with improving problems with stress, physical exercise has also been found to help with other mental health problems such as depression, anxiety, and more.
Breathing Exercises
Along with physical exercise, there are things that you can do throughout the day to make your situation better. One of the most simple breathing exercises that you can do is deep breathing exercises, which you can do anywhere.
To do this, all you need to do is simply sit still or lie down and inhale slowly as you feel your stomach rise. Hold your breath for a moment and exhale slowly allowing your stomach to fall. Along with this simple exercise, there are other more complex breathing exercises that you can implement in your day-to-day life.
One of these specific techniques is meditation which you can use to focus your attention and help yourself feel more relaxed. Taking just a few minutes out of each day to prioritize these things will go a long way toward improving overall mental health.
Unfortunately, there are a number of problems that can pop up from stress. Many times, people will turn to harmful activities and unhealthy coping mechanisms to escape stress. This can sometimes mean alcohol and drug use. While rehab can help with these things, it is best to avoid them in the first place.
We all know that the holiday season can be a stressful time. While it may be easy to slip into harmful, even destructive habits if you just take the problems day by day and do what you need to do to overcome these issues if it will help you get through this time.