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A Guide to Surviving the Holiday Season


Guest Post by Victoria Ansell

The holidays are a complicated mix between family, celebration, stress, deadlines and traveling. It is getting colder and crisper. Dead leaves litter the ground and it’s dark at 4:30.

I don’t know about you, but the cold drains my energy! I feel like I don’t get as much done and as a college student, I often feel like I don’t have time to focus on the approaching holiday season. I’m trying to keep up with all the late, rushed semester coursework, while preparing for my final exams. Meanwhile, I’m also planning visits with my family and friends during my holiday break. Suddenly, its late November and I haven’t given two thoughts about what gifts I should get for my family and if I can even afford to give any to my friends!

Our bodies instinctively tell us to take it slow around this time, but how is that even possible when this is the busiest time of the year. Luckily, I’ve learned some helpful tips to manage my stress during the holiday season.


  1. Eat some healthy comfort food. I try to eat three meals a day, rather than getting takeout or skipping breakfast. Eating three meals a day also reduces your chances of eating those sugar-filled holiday treats. It is also important to remember to eat whole foods like fruits and vegetables. This season is the perfect chance to make warm comfort foods with fall and winter veggies. (Cabbage, beets, squash, mushrooms and broccoli. Yum!) I also rely on different kinds of teas this time of year because they warm me up, smell great and provide health benefits.

  2. Make a list and check it twice. I make lists to keep up with the schoolwork, housework, presents, etc. I also like to write down any ideas I get, regarding what I want to do this season. Some items I have on my list are going out to dinner with my boyfriend, reading a book with some tea in my bed, or taking a nice walk on a nature trail.

  3. Take 10 minutes to meditate. I cannot say this enough to anyone looking for stress relief – TAKE A BREAK! Finding somewhere quiet to sit for 10 minutes is extremely beneficial to your mental health. Meditation has been shown to reduce stress by physiologically lowering stress hormone production (Hodge et al. 2017). Daily meditation will create less stress in your life.

  4. Practice yoga or stretch daily. Whether your morning yoga practice is a sun salutation or simply touching your toes, stretching is very beneficial for your body. It is great for your lymphatic system and improves immune function and blood circulation. Stretching reduces stress in the body and studies have shown that yoga improves how you react to stress. It’s all about that mind-body connection, y’all! I find that on days where I take the time to stretch and prepare for my day, it goes quite smoothly, and I don’t feel like I need a 3:00 coffee.

  5. Have a positive mindset. Maintaining a positive mindset is crucial for having a positive holiday season experience. I could elaborate, but why bother. Your mindset predicts how your day, week and year will go. Remember to just HAVE FUN this holiday season!

  6. Don’t forget to exercise. My exercise routine plummets this time of year when I don’t have time to go to the gym. However, just walking a little everyday is enough to produce endorphins and hormones, like serotonin, which make you feel happier!

The holidays become a time when our focus tends to shift. We tend to reflect on the things we didn’t get done and prepare for changes needed for the future. Stress can form when we feel that we didn’t or can’t do what we want to do. From this point of view, you won’t be able to do as much as you want because you are focusing on the stress. Remember, it is okay to take it slow and listen to your body. Reflect on the good things that happened this year, be present and enjoy the holiday season.

Peace,
Victoria Ansell


Reference:
Hoge, E. A., Bui, E., Palitz, S. A., Schwarz, N. R., Owens, M. E., Johnston, J. M., & … Simon, N. M. (2017). The effect of mindfulness meditation training on biological acute stress responses in generalized anxiety disorder. Psychiatry Research

Note: I am not a medical physician and patients should consult their physician with any changes to their meds/healthcare.