Festivities this time of year are designed to spread cheer, but they can also be the harbinger of stress. When the shopping list is piling up, and end-of-year deadlines are mounting, it can feel like there’s no time to relax. 

So making time for yourself and following these simple steps will help alleviate the added pressure of the holidays.

Get in the festive spirit with a random act of kindness

Festive spirit means something different to everyone. For some, it means decorating the house with hundreds of fairy-lights, or drinking mulled wine at a Christmas market. But for many less fortunate, this isn’t a possibility. Random acts of kindness during this time of year not only brighten someone’s day, but they can also boost your mood.

Often we can get caught up in mistaking the self-care industry with properly looking after ourselves. Sticking on a facemask and lighting a scented candle is an effective way to wind-down, but they aren’t a lifestyle fix. Checking in with your mental and physical wellbeing is even more important during the holidays. To do this, you can ask yourself a few questions.

  • Am I getting enough sleep?
  • Am I getting fresh air at least once a day?
  • Am I eating a balanced and healthy diet?
  • Am I speaking to friends or relatives about how I’m feeling?
  • Am I overindulging for the sake of it, or to distract myself from other problems?
  • Am I practicing daily exercise? Even if it’s just a walk.

If the answer to any of these questions is no, or not in a while, it might be time to adjust your routine and make more time to look after yourself. Your health is the no.1 priority.

Complete the to-do list

It’s a given that a fully checked off to-do list will feel like a weight off your shoulders. There’s always a few important things to tick off before the start of a new year. Fitting in an appointment with your dentist or a check-up at the doctors are a couple of ways to relieve extra stress. For gentle and calming care, Bowral Street Dental Practice is here to reduce any dentist-related anxiety. 

It’s proven that physically writing your to-do list versus memorizing it means you are more likely to complete it, as the visual reminder will act as motivation. It also helps to keep your daily to-do list to three items max, as being realistic about what you can achieve in a day will prevent the stress that comes from an incomplete list. 

Top tip: write your to-do list on colored post-it notes – the bright colors encourage positive energy, and the small space will keep you from writing an overly lengthy list.

If you have a daily to-do list and a festive to-do list, keep them separate! And remember that the festive to-do list doesn’t have to be completed in a day.

 De-stress During the Holidays and More Great Stuff Here



Source link

By admin

Leave a Reply