How to Stress Less! (especially this time of year)
The holidays leave us feeling frazzled from the hustle and bustle of the season. You would think that during a pandemic we wouldn’t have the same craziness associated with the holidays. Unfortunately, it isn’t quite working out that way.
There are still a million things to do and limited time to do them. This includes buying and wrapping presents, baking cookies, helping those less fortunate, and all our other holiday traditions. A lot of these things we do to feel a sense of normalcy in a year that has been far from normal. Regardless of the reason, the stress that all this busyness creates can get overwhelming.
All of the underlying stress we have been under throughout this year leaves us feeling more vulnerable than we usually are. We are being challenged repeatedly to find some normalcy where there isn’t any.
It is so easy to get caught up in the busyness and not even realize it until you get sick or feel exhausted. By the time you feel that way, it is already too late. You don’t choose to slow down, you are forced to slow down.
I have daily habits in place to help me mitigate stress throughout the year. As the holidays approach, I find that I have to cling to them much harder so I can stay on track. When I keep up with all my daily practices I find that I don’t wake up in the middle of the night with anxiety, or find myself running around like a chicken with its head cut off. I am able to stay calm and know that everything that needs to get done will.
Here are 5 practices that I incorporate into my daily life to help me deal with stress:
Meditation. Every morning, when I first wake up, I sit down to meditate for 20-30 minutes. It gives me quiet time with myself and my thoughts. It helps set the tone for the rest of my day so that I am calmer and more in tune with my thoughts and emotions.
Gratitude. I remind myself of 3 things I am grateful for each morning after I finish my meditation. Practicing gratitude helps me to start my day in a positive frame of mind. It helps me deal with the ups and downs of life because I am focused what I do have instead of focusing on what I don’t.
Yoga & Pranayama. I practice yoga and pranayama (breathing) to help me get in touch with my breath each day. They help remind me to breathe deeply when life is stressful so I can stay calm and focused.
Afternoon tea. Drinking tea in the afternoon helps remind me to slow down. I can so easily get caught up in doing all the things and end up feeling totally run down by the end of the day. Making space to sit down and actually drink a cup of tea helps me to notice if I am getting caught up in the endless to do lists so that I can conserve my energy and not feel frazzled.
Reading before bed. 30 minutes before I go to sleep, I crawl into bed and read. This keeps me from zoning out on my phone or the tv. It helps me to relax before bed. This habit has been key for helping me to sleep better at night which lowers my anxiety and stress.
There are so many ways to help you slow down and relieve stress this time of year. Take some from my list or create your own. If you can figure out how to implement new habits right now then you will be able to carry them into the next year. Having systems to help combat stress will keep you healthier and happier now and for the rest of your life!