It’s
the most wonderful time of the year...
Or so the song says. For children maybe
because all they have to do is eat, receive gifts and sign the occasional card
for relatives, but for us adults who have to deal with nightmarish traffic,
huge crowds, long shopping lists and party after party this could easily be the
most stressful
time of the year.
In our last post we talked about various
holiday stressors, how the body reacts to stress and how this leads to weight
gain. In this follow-up article we’ll share some ways validated by experts
to help you cope with holiday stress. By staying relaxed, calm and energized
you can actually enjoy time spent away from work and among the company of loved
ones, and keep your waist trim in the process!
These methods are easy to do or find and
won’t necessarily require you to wish Santa for a bigger bank account.
·
Spend a day out in the sun. This
encourages the body to produce the feel-good hormone serotonin and provides
required Vitamin
D3, which is crucial for regulating some of our important functions like
appetite, sleep, mood and behavior. It is also a natural way to ease Seasonal
Affective Disorder or SAD, a debilitating form of depression caused by the
change in season when days become short and cold. Get together with some
friends and have a picnic at your favourite outdoor hangout or take the kids
and pets out to the park. If you don’t have the time or patience for the crowd
outside, opening doors and windows to let those golden rays in is a good alternative.
·
Savour the fragrance of citrus. A study
done by researchers at the Mie University School of Medicine in Japan found
that citrus fragrance reduced the doses of antidepressants needed to treat
depressive patients. Citrus essential oils also do the trick if you need a
quick pick-me-up at the office.
·
Get
moving! Got a few hours in the morning to spare
before work? Jog a few rounds around the block or walk briskly for at least a
half hour. We all know it feels good afterward, but what’s the science behind?
According to Dr. Ann Kulze, a respected expert on wellness and nutrition, the
rhythm and repetition from walking or jogging has a tranquilizing effect on the
brain, which translates to decreasing anxiety and improving the quality of
sleep.
An even better idea is to combine the first
three tips. Get up early in the morning when the sun isn’t too hot yet, walk
briskly to the local supermarket or farm and get yourself a bag of oranges or
lemons to eat or make into a delicious juice for breakfast.
·
Squeeze, squeeze. In traditional Chinese
medicine, pressing the hoku spot or
the fleshy area located between your index finger and thumb firmly for 30
seconds reduces stress and tension in the upper body. You can easily do this
yourself whenever you start to feel overwhelmed from the long line at the
checkout counter or while waiting for a cab that never seems to materialize
when you need it most.
·
Find time for laughter. Alright, spending
an hour (or a few) to watch Jimmy Kimmel or a Jim Carey flick on your couch might
not be too practical if you barely have enough time to chew your food during
meals but that doesn’t mean you have to wear a frown the whole day. Stuck in
unmoving traffic or waiting for an appointment? Browse through a collection of
photos on your phone and have a laugh-fest of your most silly, “what-was-I-thinking?”
moments. YouTube on your mobile is also very handy in these situations.
Whatever difficulty we found ourselves in,
it’s important to remember that the quality of life we live depends largely on
perspective. Hey, even the rich and famous have their own share of feuds,
divorces and bad hair days too. If you always find time to be grateful for
every blessing that came your way and strive to see the good that has the
potential to come out in every situation, you will find that these stressors we go through are merely
‘hiccups’ compared to the happiness we get from life.
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