De-stress This Holiday Season

The holiday season is upon us. A season that can feel very stressful. The challenges in the parking lots are real, plans get changed last minute and family dinners don't turn out as anticipated. But wait, this is the season of giving thanks, giving back, and spreading cheer. It's the wonderful time of the year when everyone can put their differences aside and embrace the holiday spirit. It's all about making memories, appreciating family and friends, and indulging in good food and company, right?

So how can we make this time fun and enjoyable? Let's use a brain-based approach. During the holiday season, our brain is in constant overdrive. Planning, organizing, long To-Do Lists, and switching between tasks constantly activates the pre-frontal cortex. Add the feeling of stress and the sympathetic nervous system is ramped up.

Before applying the strategies below, take a few moments and analyze what works and doesn't work for you to manage your stress levels. Everyone is different and it is important to gain more clarity about what is important to you and how you can best manage your stress.

1. Take a moment and reflect on what has stressed you in the past. 
2. How can you deal with the primary stressor better? Think of 3 ways to cope with it.
3. What strategies have helped you manage your stress during the holiday season before? Hint: do more of that this year.
4. What is one limiting belief that you have to reframe to feel less stressed?

Strategies To Manage Stress During The Holiday Season

#1: Let go and focus on what you can control

Not everything is in our control. Recognizing what we can and cannot control makes a big difference. Let go of the things in your mind you can't control. For example, there is nothing you can do about grocery lines. Take a deep breath - let go - it is not in your hands.

Focusing on the things that you can control and applying strategies to optimize them will make your holiday season feel more joyful. You can control how you cope with unexpected situations, change of plans, or different opinions.

#2: Focus on what really counts

We have a vision for how we would like the holiday events to play out. Expect and accept that it will more likely not be all going as planned will reduce stress levels. Shift your mindset to the things that really matter to you. Take a moment and check in with yourself. Are you getting stressed out over perfection and wasting your energy or are you putting your energy into what really counts? Appreciation and gratitude practice releases neurotransmitters that are beneficial for our well-being and happiness as well as calming the nervous system.

#3: Be kind to yourself

Take a break for yourself daily. Overbooking and attempting to get everything done in a short period of time doesn't allow the nervous system to calm down. Taking a mindful moment, slowing down, going for a walk, doing your exercises, or meditating are great ways to balance your stress level. Give your pre-frontal cortex a break.