Winter is Coming

The holiday season is just around the corner, and with that season comes all the hardships of it. Holiday stress, the holidays bring out stress in a lot of people, and it’s not really surprising, cooking, shopping, baking, cleaning, entertaining, etc. It’s likely even more stressful with COVID-19 going on.

Thankfully, as the years have gone by, many people have come up with many different ways to deal with Holiday-related stress.

For starters, you can reach out to people. According to Mayo Clinic, “If you feel lonely or isolated, seek out community, religious or other social events or communities. Many may have websites, online support groups, social media sites, or virtual events. They can offer support and companionship.” Sometimes having someone to talk to can go a long way when it comes to helping with stress. Talk to friends, family, maybe even volunteering your time to charity or events that help others could help you.

Another thing you can do is try to avoid creating a packed schedule. The holidays can present some pretty challenging and desperate deadlines, so it’s best to try and keep your schedule light. Trying to cram in as many activities as possible will only increase your stress. As one Ashley Moor said, “work to strategically space out your gift-buying, food shopping, and miscellaneous holiday adventures so that you’ll have plenty of time to stop and admire the beauty of the holidays.”

Something else that you should do is get some rest. Sometimes, when you’re dealing with a lot of stress, the best thing you can do for yourself is calm down, take a deep breath, and rest. It’s best to not let these things mess with your sleep schedule.

One method you can use to try to relieve stress is aromatherapy, as Dr. Micheal Kessler said

“Some scents can trigger relaxation and improve your mood almost instantly. Lavender and vanilla, in particular, can calm your nerves and help relieve stress. You can use oils in the bath, burn them in your house, or even apply them to your skin when you’re out in public for some stress relief during and after the holidays. The University of Maryland Medical Center reports that lavender may slow activity in the nervous system and improve sleep quality, encourage relaxation, and relieve stress. By a similar token, there are some suggestions that the scent of vanilla can increase feelings of joy and relaxation.”

Sometimes, specific scents can help people calm down from stress, and aromatherapy can help with that.

If you think holiday shopping is a big source of stress, then one potential solution might be to stick to a budget. It’s best to try to make sure you know how much you’re doing to spend and how much you can afford.

An important thing is to learn to say no. A lot of people feel good when hanging out with friends and family, but sometimes you don’t have time or you just don’t feel like it. Chances are they’ll understand if you just say no. Don’t think that you need to do anything and everything just because it’s the holidays.

Much like with sleep, another thing you should do and know when to take it easy. Make sure that you have some time to yourself, find something that can help you reduce your stress, like listening to music, reading a book, or just taking a walk.

Overall, the holidays bring a lot of joy in people, and they also bring in a lot of stress in people. While some stress is inevitable, there is some stress that you can help with. The ways listed here are only some of the ways you can deal with it, you might even be able to handle stress your own way. Regardless, it’s important to not less holiday stress get the best of you and enjoy yourself for the holiday season.