6 Expert Ways To Beat Stress At Christmas & Feel Calm TODAY

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Woman stressed at christmas

It’s meant to be ‘the most wonderful time of the year’ but the pressure of the holidays can often mean a stress overload. Here’s what to do about it.

Though you look forward to it all year, when Christmas arrives the experience can be pretty overwhelming. Trying to get everything ready in time can be incredibly stressful, especially for women – a third of whom feel more stressed in December than any other month, according to research. And small wonder.  Money worries, family tensions, pressure to socialise, and over-excited children on a sugar high is hardly a recipe for success. And, if you struggle with chronic fatigue issues or often turn to food as a way of coping or comforting yourself, being surrounded by treats and snacks over the holidays with lots of demands on your time and energy levels rarely has a happy ending.

Managing stress levels is important for your health in the long term because stress is implicated in so many different chronic diseases, including ME, CFS, heart disease, Alzheimer’s, diabetes, depression, gastrointestinal problems and asthma.

If you’re thinking you don’t fall into the ‘I’m stressed enough to be making myself ill’ category, don’t be fooled. The drip-drip-drip of everyday stress can be as damaging as major life incident-related stress (such as death and divorce), so don’t wait to take action. It’s also worth considering that stress makes suppresses the immune system, gut function and much more. This is because the human body hasn’t evolved much since caveman times, and fighting an infection or digesting your meal isn’t so important when you need to run away from the sabre-toothed tiger.

Here are my top 6 ways to keep stress under control in the run up to the holidays:

1.    The 10-minute mind trick: Set aside 10 minutes a day for meditation. Simply sit down in a quiet room with your back supported and eyes closed. Try to clear your mind of all worries. Don’t worry if thoughts bubble to the surface, as this is completely normal! The more you resist the more it will persist. Simply bring your attention back to your breath and continue until the time is up. If you’re new to meditation or need more support, find a guided meditation app or CD to lead you through the process.

2.    Eat regularly: Erratic eating times and skipping meals can lead to a dip in blood sugar levels, which leads to the release of the stress hormone cortisol. It’s difficult when routines go out the window, but try to stick to three meals a day (even on Christmas Day) and your digestion will thank you for it. Base all your meals and snacks on protein (meat, poultry, fish, eggs, nuts, beans and seeds), fruit and vegetables and smaller amounts of complex carbs (brown rice, wholemeal bread or pasta).

3.    Cut back on alcohol and caffeine: I know it’s hard, especially at Christmas when socialising revolves around drinking, but try ditching (or significantly reducing) your alcohol and caffeine intake. Caffeine causes a release of stress hormones from the adrenal glands - the last thing you want if you are already stressed! At first, alcohol might help to relax you when you’re stressed out (by promoting the release of GABA, the calming neurotransmitter), but it is quickly metabolised to sugar that can lead to a restless sleep, which leads me onto my next tip.

4.    Prioritise sleep: Get into a sleep routine that includes relaxing practices such as taking a warm bath with Epsom salts, light reading or stretching. Introduce a digital detox at least an hour before bed (that means no phones, no TV, no laptops or tablets), so as not to disrupt melatonin production (the sleepy hormone). A light snack such as an oatcake with almond butter or a banana may help to support undisturbed sleep.

5.    Eat magnesium-rich meals: Magnesium relaxes the nervous system and muscles so eating foods rich in this mineral, such as leafy greens, avocados, sesame seeds and spinach can help reduce stress.  

6.     Get to the cause: Look at the root cause to any stress in your life, think about how you respond to it and how it’s affecting your energy levels. If the effect of stress or just general busyness gets in the way of your efforts to stay healthy and energised and you’d like to do something about it, I warmly invite you to book a complimentary 30-minute Health Transformation Strategy Call to help.