Natural Stress-Free Ways to Survive the Holidays

Even if you love the holidays and await them all year long -- we can all agree there's a significant uptick in stress during this season. Especially in 2020.  Even if the visits have shifted to virtual meetings, Facetime dinners, and Zoom gatherings with family and friends, our schedule has no “white space” left during this season.  

I thought it would be so much emptier at the store this year, but with so many people working from home, they are finding a way to run to the store during what used to be “off hours”, so traffic is more hectic than usual, stores are packed, and it can be pretty easy to send you, an otherwise calm person, into overwhelm.  

The most wonderful time of the year comes with a price that goes beyond the extra calories and frantic holiday shopping. 

Let this year be different.  Putting a focus on lowering stress can help you enjoy the season without the added pressure. Taking a natural approach to reducing stress through the ancient tradition of Ayurveda might hold the key for surviving the holiday season this year and beyond. The basis of Ayurveda philosophy is to balance the body, mind, and spirit. Here are some ways to make it through to the New Year with naturally-effective stress-busting solutions. 

- Try drinking hot water

In Ayurvedic practices, hot water is recommended for digestive health. We need to pay a little extra attention to our digestive system with all the varied holiday meals added to our usual fare. Whether you choose to drink plain hot water or tea, doing so 30 minutes to one hour after eating helps to balance out those extra indulgences.

- Choose warming spices

Maybe that slice of pumpkin pie full of nutmeg and cinnamon isn’t such a bad idea. As it turns out, eating more warming spices like those plus cloves, ginger, cardamom, and turmeric help in keeping balanced. They’re great for restoring a good mood and are nature's own anti-inflammatory. 

 - Focus on your blessings rather than nitpicking over calories

Is it advisable to eat enough calories for one week in one day? I think we all know the answer to that.  But it is much more important to focus on how grateful you are to be connecting with those you love, than focusing on the calories.  With great conversations over your meal, focus on their words, and savor every bite. By eating slowly and treasuring the meal, you’ll naturally feel fuller and won’t have room to overdo it. And you won’t spoil the moment by obsessing over calories.

 - Practice self-care with Ayurvedic massage

Using warm essential oils to give yourself a 10-minute massage will help balance both your physical and emotional being. In winter, it’s especially important to keep the body balanced. Traditionally, this type of massage is practiced in the morning before bathing. Starting the day off with a massage sounds like my kind of stress buster!

 - Get the golden ticket to better sleep

With all the holiday excitement, you might find it hard to get restful sleep. Try warming a cup of almond or coconut milk and adding a pinch of ginger, cardamom and turmeric. And if you do not have high blood sugar levels, you can add a little raw, organic honey. Drink this before bed and sleep should be much more refreshing.

 - Take time for yoga

Yoga complements Ayurvedic practices beautifully. The best way to get rid of stress, relieve anxiety, and promote good quality sleep is to have harmony in the mind and body. Put yoga classes on your gift wish list, or better yet, make it the gift you give yourself.

By turning the focus to natural ways of busting stress during the holidays, it will free up your mind to truly enjoy the season for all its many gifts!

And if you haven’t already done so, be sure to join our "Stop Migraines Now" private community over on Facebook to stay on top of your health goals, and to get the clarity and energy to keep going for your big audacious goals in a balanced way. Or you can reach out to me and schedule a 15 minute call to see if you are a good fit to join my case study group on how to make migraines a thing of the past. Gwyn's calendar