Are you struggling with stress during the holidays? Here are some tips and treatments to help.

The holidays are a joyous time for many – spending time with family and friends, sharing gifts, shopping, and more. At the same time, it can be a stressful time for all the same reasons. In fact, research shows that 81% of people are more stressed during the holidays, and 30% of people say they get less sleep during the holidays.

If you’re interested in finding ways to enjoy the holidays without all the stress, you’ve come to the right place. In this post, we discuss easy-to-handle holiday stress naturally, including treatments to support your overall wellbeing and help get you through the holidays with (hopefully) a lot of fun, love, and joy!

How to handle holiday stress naturally

Below are some tips on reducing holiday stress and enjoying yourself throughout the season. These tips will help you be more relaxed, which will help you find joy in the holidays. Plus, others will enjoy a more relaxed and calm you than a stressed-out you! 

• Maintain typical self-care activities and routines: It can be easy to let our typical routines to take care of ourselves fall by the wayside during the holidays. However, it’s important to keep up with eating well, exercising, and getting enough sleep. This will help you to reduce holiday stress and maintain your overall wellbeing. 

• Make time for yourself: It’s important to carve out time for yourself during the holidays to practice the self-care mentioned above. Instead of rushing around, take care of yourself so you can actually enjoy the holidays vs. just rushing around. Also, consider scheduling an appointment at your local spa or clinic to add some extra self-care to your routine (some ideas are mentioned below!).

• Set realistic expectations: It’s common for us to be extremely ambitious with how much we can get done each day leading up to the holidays. Set realistic expectations for yourself on what’s truly possible from day to day and focus on your priorities. Also, realize that your celebrations aren’t likely to go exactly as planned, so choose to go with the flow and enjoy yourself regardless. 

• Prioritize your schedule and tasks: Though we tend to think everything is a priority, that generally isn’t the case if we take the time to assess our schedules and to-do lists. Speaking of priorities, consider what must get done each day, and let the rest go when possible. You can also choose to delegate where you can. Also, remember to prioritize activities that are fun and feel good to you. 

• Be gentle on yourself: Practice self-compassion and continually remind yourself to be gentle on yourself during the holidays. If you have a tough moment, breathe through it and remind yourself you’re human. 

• Take breaks: A great way to practice self-care is to take plenty of breaks throughout the day. Give yourself time to regroup, ground, and from there, decide what the best next action is. 

• Connect with others: Connection is vital for our health and wellbeing. Take time to truly connect with friends and family throughout the holidays. 

• Share gratitude: Expressing gratitude is shown to increase happiness and elevate your mood in general. 

• Spend time outside: Even in the winter cold, taking some time to step outside and breathe in the fresh air is beneficial. It helps to ground you to move forward in your day. 

• Seek out a therapist or counseling: If you feel you need a bit of extra support navigating holiday challenges, consider reaching out to a local mental health therapist or counselor. This approach can be especially helpful when you’re navigating challenging relationships or dealing with the loss of a loved one during the holidays. 

Treatments to help with holiday stress

If you find your stress level starting to be a bit too much, consider taking time out and scheduling a treatment to help bring some relaxation into your life. Here are some treatments offered at Roman’s that help to alleviate holiday stress and improve your mood so you can enjoy the holiday season:

• Homeopathic treatments: Homeopathy is a way to treat challenges and illnesses within the body by using substances that match the individual’s symptoms. A mixture of minerals, herbs, and other substances is often used to help reduce stress and relieve anxiety. Homeopathic treatments are generally taken orally. 

• Stress massage facials: Most facials can bring a sense of relaxation. Add in a stress massage, and you have a facial that targets stress reduction. 

• Acupuncture: Acupuncture helps to alleviate stress in many ways. It helps to reduce stress hormones, release the good feeling hormones, improve blood circulation, and clear energy blocks in the body. 

• Salt room: Salt therapy involves being in a room where salt is released into the air. As you sit in the room, you breathe in tiny salt particles to help clear the airways and improve breathing. Salt rooms typically involve dim lighting and relaxing music, enhancing their ability to reduce holiday stress. 

Schedule an appointment to reduce and alleviate holiday stress today

If you’re interested in exploring therapies and treatments to help alleviate and reduce stress during the holidays and throughout the year, give Roman’s a call. Contact us today at 304-322-0093 or contact us online to schedule an appointment today!