It is hard for us to believe that the holiday season is already upon us; funny how it seems to show up faster each year! What is your plan to gracefully manage and enjoy the holidays this year, while staying calm and healthy? Your first thought should be your own personal care and maintaining some sense of sanity and order. Holidays can be very anxious times for some of us with huge “to do” lists, visitors and guests, extra cooking and baking,decorating, and shopping lists. Staying calm and healthy is vital.
The statistics are staggering on how many health-related diseases are worsened around the Holiday Season. Heart attacks, strokes, depression, anxiety …etc. This is attributed to stress from the chaotic pace of the season which comes from increased expectations, parties, and family obligations, among other things.
We work alongside some amazing Wellness Practitioners in suite 203. For this month’s article they offer some wonderful tips on getting through the holidays with ease and grace, while staying healthy in the process.
Aromatherapy is the use of essential oils. Essential oils are made from flowers, herbs, and tree parts, like bark, roots, peels, and petals. Using essential oils is something that is simple to do and can really help you to relax and destress. The perfectly blended essential oils in the form of a personal inhaler, diffuser blend, a relaxing bath blend or body lotion can provide relief from feeling overwhelmed and anxious.
A simple thing to do is to buy yourself a diffuser and get in the habit of putting a few drops of custom blended essential oils in it each day. The diffuser will spread the wonderfully therapeutic essential oils into the air that you breathe. When you inhale this air, it will naturally calm and relax you, helping you to get through the extra holiday activities.
Different essential oil blends result in different therapeutic responses. When buying and using essential oils it is important to use the correct blends. If you need assistance in using essential oils that you already have, or if you wish to have custom organic essential oil blends created for your needs, please contact me for a consultation.
With all of the extra holiday activities going on you could go into sensory overload.
Some symptoms of sensory overload are:
What can you do to prevent and treat those issues?
First, realize that this is happening or has the potential to happen. These symptoms do not occur over night. Stay ahead of things by setting aside some time each day to stretch and breathe. It seems too simple to work but it does. When you take 5-15 minutes a day to pause, stretch your muscles, and breathe in and out deeply, you give your mind and body a break. Can you give yourself a few minutes each morning to do this? Put it in your calendar now so your phone reminds you until it becomes a habit.
The other way to stay ahead of having sensory overload is to schedule a bodyworks appointment on a regular basis. When you get a massage, craniosacral, cupping, or acupuncture treatment, it allows your nervous system to reset. These treatments assist in reducing headaches, TMJ pian, back and back pain, and pain pretty much anywhere else in your body. Aside from that, your mind will relax and you will feel ready to tackle your holiday to do list.
Give yourself the gift of regular self care.
During the holiday season it is easy to get caught up with the “to do” list and lose sight of the big picture. Aside from taking time each day to pause and relax, it is also important to visualize your day (or event) going as desired.
At the start of each day, sit quietly for a minute or two and visualize yourself going through your day and having it turn out as desired. Use all of your senses: sight, sound, feel, etc. Vividly see yourself doing what you desire, hear the sounds you want to hear, feel how it will feel to you.
Your mind does not know the difference between reality and what you think about. By putting positive images in your mind, it will create a sense of peacefulness and calmness. It will also help you to enjoy your day more as you focus on things going right, vs what could go wrong. Have faith in yourself and trust the process.
Another great way to prevent the holidays from being stressful and to make them more joyful, is to become aware of your communication. Communication both internally (to yourself) and externally (to others) is the first step towards a better holiday outcome.
There are two types of communication – effective and less effective. You cannot, not communicate. In other words, you are constantly communicating with your voice and your actions or body language. Here is the key to communicating effectively => understand fully that communication is about what is heard, not what was said.
Never assume that what you said was heard in the manner that you desired it to be heard. A great thing to ask people is “What did you hear me say?” or “How did what I said make you feel?”. If someone says something that upsets you, ask “What did you mean by that?”. Open ended questions are the best way to get the correct information.
Also, remember when communicating with others that the spoken language is only 7% of total communication Your body language, eyes, expressions, tonality…etc comprises the other 93%. Pay attention to this and be aware that it impacts what is “heard”.
By being aware of your communication and more properly communicating, you will find your holiday events much less stressful and more enjoyable.
The holiday season often brings about the memories of a loved one that is no longer alive. The holidays can also be a little lonely or tough when you have recently lost a loved one. Here are a few ways of coping with your loss:
Light a candle in your home in memory of the person you’ve lost. This will give you a sense of peace that they are with you. Everytime you look at the candle, send him/her your love.
Make a food dish that your loved one used to make. Don’t get discouraged if you try to make their dish and you fail. Thank them for the gift of their unique food dish. Visualize them sharing it with you.
Leave an empty seat at the holiday table in memory of your loved one. This will make you feel that they are at the table celebrating with you.
Remember that their energy and love still surrounds you, even if their physical body does not.
This the season of joy, bright twinkly lights and cheer. You want to keep your skin bright and cheery too!! Having healthy skin helps you to feel better about yourself and besides, your skin is an important organ that needs caring for.
Make sure that you hydrate with water daily. Being well hydrated ensures that your organs function properly, as well as your skin. When you drink enough water each day, your skin will show it! Hydration will also keep you feeling more full and less likely to overindulge in holiday treats!
And keep in mind, it’s ‘Peel prep season’ as well! With shorter days of less sunshine and cooler temperatures it’s the perfect time to regenerate your cellular activity and exfoliate a year of dead skin cells. Treat yourself this season to a facial peel and glow through the Holidays!
How can you tackle that shopping list while not spending a fortune and while keeping your loved ones’ health in mind? The Optimal You Wellness providers are offering some excellent, affordable gift packages this year – perfect for everyone on your list, and most importantly for you!
There is something for everyone:
Click Here To See Our Wellness Partners Special Holiday Package.
For more information please e-mail or call 951-319-7819