The nights are drawing in, the cold is settling upon us and the holiday season is here.
For some, all the shopping and organizing is already done but for others there’s a mad dash this month to get everything just right.
With so much happening this month – work, work Christmas do’s, Secret Santa’s, shopping, keeping the kids calm, cooking, organizing, wrapping, decorating etc – it’s no wonder this is a stressful time of year. And that’s before trying to make sure Santa gets that essential must-have toy.
If you find yourself overwhelmed and feeling stressed, here’s five ideas to take time for yourself.
- Lock the bathroom door and take a long relaxing bath. Add a few drops of lavender essential oil to the water and let the aroma soothe any tension away. Essential oils can be ordered on Amazon or you may find some at your local pharmacy. Take a good book and enjoy.
- Get a thirty minute back massage from your local beauty salon. Relax and let the therapist massage your stress away.
- Take time to meditate for 15 minutes daily. If you can’t manage daily then at least three times per week. Meditating has been shown to help reduce stress. Done regularly, it has a cumulative effect on reducing stress levels. The saying goes ‘if you don’t have time to meditate for 15 minutes, you should meditate for an hour’.
- Tapping (EFT or Emotional Freedom Technique) either by yourself or with a practitioner can help to reduce the stress hormone cortisol. In studies conducted in Australia, regular tapping helped to reduce cortisol by a whopping 37%! Have a look at my YouTube channel to find some videos to tap along to.
- Whilst hypnosis has been used to help with weight loss or to stop smoking, few people know that hypnotherapy is an excellent way to relax and reduce stress. Find a quiet place for 25 minutes away from the hustle and bustle and relax. If you haven’t already, get a free relaxation hypnotherapy audio by entering your email address below – sit back and let the audio do its thing.
What other ways can you relax this holiday season so you can enjoy the festivities?
