What can You do to Manage Stress during this Holiday Season?

Happy December friends!  I hope all of you have been enjoying your Christmas season and are embracing the season of giving.   As November faded and December arrived, I was reminded that we are leaving the season of gratitude and entering the season of giving and rejoicing.   This is personally both my favorite and most dreaded season of the year… 

I honestly did not use to dread this season.  That part came with motherhood, and I realize that sounds terrible.  Unless you are a mother and then you get it. 

My To-Do list stays long, my time for family stays short, and all I wish for every year is for my family and kids to be happy and to feel the magic of this season.  There was a podcast I was listening to last week and I heard something very profound about being more about “presence” than “presents” this season.  

That is going to be the goal I aspire to and what I would like to pass on to my children (although that’s incredibly hard with a 4-year-old) (hahaha IYKYK) 

Let’s reduce the stress of this season and focus on being present with the activities that we really want to, that invest the most time and love into ourselves and our families. 

Stress is so powerful in the human body – it can seriously cause health some problems if you do manage it properly.  Some side effects you can see are as follows, but not limited to: 

• Poor Sleep Quality
• Skin Rashes and/or acne
• Decreased Immune System 
• Irritability or Poor Mood
• Increased Anxiety/Depression
• Increased Muscle Tension
• Increased symptoms of chronic pain

These are just some examples, and no you are not likely to get “all” of the list.  Every human body is different so the way stress shows up in your life could be totally different than your best friend’s way. 

So what can we do to help manage stress? 

• I would encourage you to audit every activity and to-do item that you feel you have to do.  
• Once you do that, then I would plan ahead. 
• Schedule YOU Time in the calendar.
• Ask for help when you need it.  

Top recommendations for de-stressing activities for the holidays:

1. Running
2. Yoga
3. Meditation 

Every human is different, remember? So depending on the type of person you are will determine which type of activity sounds the most stress-relieving to you.  

Hope this helps you!  

Finding joy in your health & wellness journey,

Dr. Ally