Staying Healthy for the Holidays: Stress

Pie chart courtesy of oregonbookreport.com

Here we are on Christmas Eve.  Many of us will be traveling and visiting family we may only see once or twice a year.  We all have those relatives that drive us crazy.  The overbearing mother, the screw-up sibling, or the drunk grandmother.  Some of us will be buying last minute gifts as we scramble to spend every last penny to fulfill our perceived duty of gift giving.  Lets not forget the creation of the perfect holiday feast!  All these add up to a tremendous amount of stress!  The holidays do not need to be so stressful.  We can turn that stress into the "joy" that everyone talks about.  Here, in the last "Staying Healthy for the Holidays" installment, are five easy stress reduction tips.

1. Breathe.  Number one thing you can do to reduce stress is to stop and breathe.  If you are feeling overwhelmed step into an empty room, close your eyes and breathe deep.  Practice abdominal breathing, infants do this naturally, but somewhere along the way we start to breathe from our chest.  Sure our lungs are in our chest, but our diaphragm (the muscle responsible for breathing) is located at the bottom of our ribs.  As it pulls downward towards our belly when we inhale, it pushes our guts outward distending our belly.  So to properly get a full breath we must breathe from our abdomens.  Feel your belly push outward as your inhale through your nose, filling your lungs from the bottom of your ribs to the top in one long breath.  Exhale slowly and controlled through your mouth.  Try to exhale half as fast as you inhaled.  If it took you 4 seconds to inhale, take 8 to exhale.  This usually helps to calm and center me when I need it.
   
2. Exercise.  Exercise has been proven time and time again to reduce stress.  The human body is a magnificent machine, and it adapts and evolves as needed.  When we exercise we are causing stress to our body.  In turn our bodies adapt to that stress by increasing our stress threshold.  No only does it increase our stress threshold, but it releases pent up energy that may manifest as stress or anxiety.
3. Get a massage.  Massage has also been proven time and time again to reduce stress.  Although it works differently than exercise.  Massage itself does not cause stress (unless you have issues with caring touch).  What massage does do is increase serotonin production, the "feel good" hormone.  This hormone is also released when we eat chocolate, and who doesn't like chocolate?  Massage also slows breathing, reduces muscle tension, increases micro-circulation, and often leads to better sleep (sometimes during the massage).  This all reduces stress physiologically.
4. Ask for help.  It takes a stronger, nobler person to ask for help.  Let go of control and ask for help with whatever you need it for, be it cooking, cleaning, or perhaps it's food and clothing.  All to often I find myself struggling with a project at home, steaming that it's not going how I want it to.  I have a hard time asking for help, but once I do...the job gets done...holy crap that was easy.  Fear is often the cause of not asking.  Fear that the individual will say no, or judge us because we can't do it ourselves.  Perhaps it's an inability to relinquish control, a typical "type-A" personality trait.  Whatever the reason behind it is, it will take practice to ask, and practice makes better!
5. Give AND Receive.  If you have the means, charity is a great way to add more meaning to your life.  Meaningfulness in life leads to a greater feeling of accomplishment and overall happiness.  "Tis the season for giving", does not mean go buy the most expensive diamond, car, or TV.  It means helping your fellow human or animal in ways they cannot help themselves.  But the equally important part of giving, is receiving.  Creating balance between the two is paramount to creating fullness in life.  Be open to receive help, complements, and charity.  You will be happier and less stressed for it!
   

So speaking of stress, my daughter just had one of the biggest blow-out diapers in the history of blowout diapers...gotta go get the hose.  Stay healthy!

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