Relaxing the Stress Away

Welcome to the holiday season -- that whirlwind of gift-giving festivities, parties and activities galore that begins right after Halloween, builds a crescendo on Thanksgiving, and continues gaining momentum right through the end of the year.

While this season is meant to bring feelings of love and cheer, for many, the holiday season is a time of stress. There are just so many things to do and a limited time to complete them. 

If you're one of those people feeling more frazzled than festive, taking the time to use a few relaxation strategies can really reduce stress over the holidays.  

Learn to Relax Your Breathing

One of the best, and simplest, ways to calm your nerves when you’re feeling tense or anxious is to practice more mindful breathing. 

Deep breathing activates your parasympathetic nervous system, which induces the relaxation response.

Just stop whatever you are doing and take a deep breath in and exhaHAle - Aaaaaaah. Take another long deep breath in and consciously release any tension that has crept into your body.  With each inhale and exhale we relax the muscles in our body one at a time.   Another deep breath in and release it with a sound.  A MOMent like this can reset our timing and give us more balance. 

Laughing your Way Through

One of the best, and simplest, ways to calm your nerves when you’re feeling tense is by using our built-in mechanism for relaxation.  Laughter provides emotional satisfaction as well as physiological benefits and relaxation.    In order to laugh - the diaphragm takes a deep inhalation followed by a rhythmic exhalation.  We equalize the pressure in the abdominal and chest cavities and give our internal organs a massage.

Putting the Holidays Into Perspective

Perhaps more than anything, the key to enjoying and relaxing during the holidays may  be in the way you perceive them. Adjusting your attitude and your expectations can help turn an otherwise stressful holiday into a relaxing one. So when stress threatens to take over the show, here are a few more tips that can help you keep your sense of balance and calm during the holidays:

• Be gentle with yourself, and give yourself permission to say “No.” It really is okay to take special time for yourself. If the holidays have you feeling down for whatever reason, indulge in the things that make you feel happy, whether they’re holiday related or not.
• Seek out positive people who make you feel better, and avoid people who add to your stress or contribute to your depression.
• Focus on what you and your family want to do for the holidays instead of what other families are doing.  Create your own rituals and celebrate this season.

Here is a yummy video of my favorite space in the world and her sounds to help you release the stress and relax into who you are: