The hustle and bustle of the holiday season can leave you feeling drained physically and mentally. This year, try to reduce stress and take care of yourself so you aren’t completely run down by the time Christmas rolls around. Give yourself the gift of self-care with these healthy strategies, courtesy of Lustrous Henna.
Eat right and exercise
When people are busy, they tend to skip meals and neglect their own health. However, it's vitally important to take care of yourself, no matter how chaotic life becomes. Avoid grabbing unhealthy meals, even when you’re on the run, and eat nutritious meals containing plenty of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean meats, and healthy fats. The UCLA Center of East-West Medicine recommends healthy foods rich in vitamin C, magnesium, and omega-3 fatty acids to counterbalance the effects of stress.
Don't forget about your fitness routine. Exercise is one of the best ways to reduce stress and boost your mood during the holidays. According to Healthline, regular physical activity builds up levels of serotonin and dopamine hormones in the brain, which helps relieve anxiety, depression, and stress.
To help you stay on track, consider getting a smartwatch. Apple’s new-generation line of smartwatches features fitness tracking with advanced workout metrics and can even allow you to compete with friends in challenges. The Apple Watch's heart sensor works to detect unusually high or low heart rates, and its ECG app detects abnormal heart rhythms that may be a sign of a health issue. The Apple Watch also features fall detection and can even call for help. Just be sure you pair it with a durable watch band that can hold up through all of your workouts.
Boost your confidence
Eating right and exercising regularly will likely give you a confidence boost. But consider whether there are other steps you could take to up your confidence. For example, maybe you’re due for a facial or other skincare treatment or maybe this year you want to take steps to improve your smile. Or perhaps that self-confidence boost needs to come from being more social and going a little easier on yourself. ZenBusiness says that self-criticism can be turned into self-confidence once we realize the silliness of wasting time and beating ourselves up over past mistakes. So set up a holiday date via a dating app or accept a friend’s invitation to attend a get-together. However you get it, achieving a confidence boost can be a great way to stay energized through the hustle and bustle of the holidays.
Don’t blow your budget on holiday shopping
Shopping is one of the biggest pressures of the holiday season. Don’t stress yourself out by going into debt! Instead, set a holiday shopping budget and stick to it. Include not only gifts in your budget, but also any costs of holiday meals, events, and entertainment. To reduce gift giving costs, start a family gift exchange with a low dollar limit, give homemade gifts, or make it a rule to only buy for the children in your extended family, not the adults.
When it comes to shopping, skip the brick-and-mortar stores whenever possible. The stress of malls, big-box stores, and even grocery stores can be overwhelming when they are crowded with holiday shoppers. Instead, do most of your shopping online, and find promo codes, cashback offers, and other discounts to get the most bang for your buck. You can even have your groceries delivered these days. Most big grocery chains offer the first delivery free, so take advantage and do one big grocery order for the holidays.
Give yourself a break
Every single day, spend 30 minutes alone without any distractions at all. Take a walk alone, make a cup of healthy hot chocolate, try a meditation app, listen to music, or read a book. Do something you enjoy that clears your mind. By slowing down for just a half hour, you can restore your inner sense of calm, rejuvenate your energy levels, and get ready to tackle whatever comes next.
The holidays are traditionally stressful and often overwhelming, but they don’t have to be. Don’t let it get the better of you this year! By practicing self-care, you can maintain your physical, mental, and emotional health throughout the season and learn to enjoy this time of year once again.
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