The holidays can be a wonderful time of year, brimming with happiness and love. And yet for many reasons, it can also become a particularly emotionally charged (positive and/or negative) or stressful time. Between obligations, year-end work demands and more, it can be easy to get caught up in doing all of the things you are responsible for doing, as well as focusing on others' needs.So it's a good time to remember to keep yourself balance as much as possible, check in internally, and take care of yourself. If you aren't feeling and being your best, you'll suffer first and the most, and it will trickle elsewhere in your life. Self-care is not selfish - it's vital for your own well-being!Stress is important to acknowledge. It is a reality that we all must deal with on relative levels, typically more often than we'd ideally like - so it's incredibly important to know how to deal with it better from preventative or proactive, and reactive, standpoint. While it's impossible to completely remove or control external stressors, we can learn how to shift our perspectives, perceptions, self-awareness and self-care to better manage such things. Stress is only as bad as we left it affect us. We are our reactions, and with some work, we can learn to process external stimuli and situations differently in a healthier way that becomes much easier and more productive.Keep in mind that our emotional/mental and physical selves are not separate entities - when one is stressed, the other is impacted as well; conversely, helping one can help the other too - so it's important to always take care of both.Here are some ideas to consider. Some may be best employed as "in the moment" diffusers, some are helpful as preventative or ongoing practices that are best if done daily - better equipping you to deal with stress.15 Simple Self-Care Solutions to Minimize and Mitigate Stress
- Be aware. Live and feel consciously, and acknowledge your needs and feelings. Don't internalize or bottle up feelings of frustration. That doesn't mean to lash out about everything, but being in touch and honest with ourselves makes it much easier to work through stressors and make sure you're getting and giving what you need. Knowing when you need to take a step back or speak up, and doing so, helps to achieve better balance within ourselves, interactions with others, and our lives in general.
- Speak up and talk it out. Expressing yourself out loud can feel like a therapeutic release. Talk to your partner, a best friend, close family member, a professional - whoever you prefer as a sounding board. Ask for help figuring out or getting what you need. If you're overwhelmed at work, talk to a manager or colleague about ways you can shift your time management or delegate, if appropriate.
- Be still. Simple as it sounds, in the midst of a crazy day we often forget to do this or think we can't take the time. When you're feeling overwhelmed, find and take a moment - even just 30 seconds - to stop. Stand or sit still, tune into your body and try and relax the physical tension that has surely tightened up in a few spots. Do an inner scan from the top of your head to your toes, relaxing each bit of your body as you pass it. Take a few good, slow and deep breaths.
- Take a break. Any kind of mental of physical break can work wonders in recharging your energy and mindset. Try and carve out 5-10 minutes to take a walk. It's good for circulation, energy and calming of nerves. Commit to reading even just a few pages of a good book every day, be it a self-growth book, novel or otherwise. Allow yourself even a brief time to do a favorite activity. Know when you need some space, or a change of scenery.
- Focus on gratitude and love. This can feel particularly challenging in the thick of a stressful time, but being mindfully grateful and appreciative of love every day can help impart invaluable perspective on our outlook and perceptions. There is always someone or something, no matter how small or big, deserving of our gratitude and love. Dedicate even just a few moments of thought to these feelings daily.
- Get outside. Simply stepping outdoors and taking a few deep breaths of fresh air can do a body good! Multiply the benefits if you can extend that into a longer outing, especially if you can get out in nature - be it an urban park or a more remote hike.
- Take a mini mental vacation. Think "visualization". Re-focus your attention for a minute (or a few - whatever you can manage) on someone or something that makes you feel happy and full. Maybe it's your partner, or an occasion - a dinner party with friends, your favorite vacation spot, your pet - there's certainly no wrong answer. Just by fully redirecting your thoughts to something that gives you happiness will help give you a little reboot and boost.
- Practice deep breathing. "Pranayama", breathing techniques utilized in yoga, is translated to mean "extension of breath" or "extension of life force". Focused, controlled, concentrated breathing can have a huge impact on your body and mind and the interconnection between the two. It can actually help minimize some of your body's systemic responses to stress, in the moment and in general. Try closing your eyes and taking a few slow breaths in and out of your nose, or in your nose and out your mouth, filling and emptying your chest and belly fully with each breath cycle. To learn more, try searching "pranayama breathing exercises" or "deep breathing exercises" on YouTube, and find something that resonates with you to get you started.
- Stay hydrated. Water keeps all of our organs - including our brain - functioning properly. Dehydration can do a number on your body, including increasing cortisol (a stress hormone) levels. Don't wait until you're thirsty to drink; at that point, you are already dehydrated! Make sure to get enough fluids from the get-go each morning by starting your day with a glass of water as soon as you wake up. And wherever you go, keep a reusable water bottle with you (I'm partial to HydroFlask - it keeps cold liquid cold and hot liquid hot for hours and hours!).
- Stay nourished. Remember to eat - we simply cannot function at our best when our energy is depleted. When we're low on energy or hungry, we tend to get more easily rocked, jittery or short-fused. As often as possible, try to fuel yourself with good nutrition that will give your body a sustained boost. Stay prepared by keeping healthy snacks with you when you're on-the-go.
- Aromatherapy. Smells can have an intense sensory impact, positive or negative. Utilize the positive components to your benefit. If there are scents you love that are comforting or soothing, find a candle you like or a small bottle of essential oil. A lit candle or whiff of the oil can do the trick.
- Get moving. Find some kind of movement that you enjoy, and do it because you look forward to it, like it while you do it and like how you feel after. Play a group sport, take an exercise class or DVD, go for a solo or buddy run or walk. If you aren't feeling motivated, find a small available floor space in your home and do body weight bearing exercises. Practice yoga. Don't have time or desire to do it for an hour? No problem. Try stretching your hamstrings with a few mountain pose into forward bends, and back up, and ease into a few gentle sun salutations. It doesn't have to be all or nothing when it comes to exercise. Even a little goes a long way, and the key is consistency - regardless of length-of-time or what you're doing.
- Stretch. Getting the fascia, the connective tissue throughout your body, to be more pliable and unstuck helps everything in you function better. In addition to more standard static and dynamic stretching, get a foam roller - it's like giving yourself a deep-tissue massage, and helps everything from your muscles and fascia to lymphatic and circulatory systems.
- Meditate. We've all heard this before. But similar to yoga, this doesn't need to be a full-fledged, hour-long effort in order to have an impact. Meditating is a state of mind, and if you can close your eyes and quiet your mind - focusing on a certain word/ words, sound or image that works for you - even just for a few minutes, you'll give yourself a helpful reset. Or try laying in child's pose first to get into a more relaxed state. At its roots, yoga is all about the mind, so keep your focus there. If it's tough to find time during the day to do this, try it when you get into bed at night to go to sleep. At the very least, it just may help you fall asleep easier and have a better rest!
- Improve your surroundings. This applies to people, places and things. Surrounding yourself with who and what makes you happy can be an automatic and ongoing comfort, lifting you up rather than breaking you down, and helps you operate on a healthier, happier level in general. In some circumstances these things are beyond our control, but taking charge to surround yourself with who and what you love when you can makes the other times much easier and less negatively impactful.
Above all? Just listen to your body! Stay in tune with your insides to know when you're out of balance and need something else, take care of yourself, and don't be afraid to ask for help. You can read a thousand stress management tip lists, but nothing will make a bit of difference until you're ready to make a change and you believe in the power of helping yourself.