The holidays can be a stressful time. From going overboard baking cookies to experiencing the loss of a loved one, it’s important to be able to handle this stress in a healthy way. At AFC Urgent Care Methuen, we want you to feel your best throughout the holiday season. That is why we have provided some tips for handling stress from the holidays in a healthy way. For more information, call our clinic at 978-975-0700.
Going overboard
It can be easy to become overwhelmed with the number of tasks to complete during the holidays. Sending out Christmas cards and preparing for entertaining guests mixed with daily life stress can make you feel anxious. This can lead to participating in unhealthy habits such as drinking too much, making you feel sick, or leave you injured. It’s important to recognize when you are doing too much and need to take a break. Schedule out everything you need to do for the months ahead, and prioritize the most critical tasks. If you find that your list is too long, take off some of the lower prioritized items. Be sure to delegate tasks to children or other family members to help alleviate your stress.
Overeating
With Thanksgiving and Christmas being major eating holidays, it can be easy to surround yourself with many leftovers. By the beginning of the New Year, you may be feeling worse than you did before the holidays began. Allow yourself to splurge on the actual holidays, but keep the leftovers to a minimum after. This will help you from feeling bloated or too full during the weeks, and you can focus on other tasks throughout the weekdays.
Spending time with others
The holidays are meant to bring families and loved ones together to spend time with one another. It is a chance for extended families to see others they may not have seen since last year. While this is a special thing, continuously socializing can become overwhelming. Additionally, the pressure of spending time with families can be overwhelming if your family cannot get together. It’s best to create a schedule for yourself to plan out seeing others in a way that works for you. Be sure to not engage in any stressful triggers for yourself, such as political conversation or drinking too much.
Take time for yourself
Be sure to take moments to yourself throughout the holiday months to stop and reflect. Take this time to think about your loved ones and why you are doing the things you are doing. Taking walks alone or long hot showers are some ways that help people decompress and take time for themselves. Self-care looks different for everyone, so make that a priority this holiday season, and you are sure to feel good come 2021.
