’Tis the season of giving, and love and merriment should fill the air. If that’s the case, why do the holidays push you to your limits, stressing you out like never before? During the holidays, people often resort to bad habits like eating excess sugar, overdosing on caffeine, and being too indulgent with booze. Add all of that to the heightened emotions that surround the holidays and you get the perfect recipe for stress.
According to the American Psychological Association (APA), roughly 50% of all adult women in the United States experience more stress during the holidays than they do the rest of the year. Additionally, roughly 41% of adult women turn to food for comfort, while 28% of women seek comfort in alcohol. Part of this stress comes from worrying about money, making sure that everything is perfect, and attempting to smooth family relations.
The Holidays During COVID-19
For the most part, the 2021 holiday season should be less stressful. If you’ve been following health guidelines and taking care of your health, you should be fine to travel and visit with family that you may not have seen last year. With a new variant on the horizon, it may only enhance the stress that tends to accompany the holidays. You are not alone in this fight against stress, though, and we have six great tips to beat stress this holiday season.
6 Tips To Beat Holiday Stress
#1: Know Your Spending Limit
You don’t want to max out your card or drain your checking or savings account during the holidays. At the same time, the holidays are notorious for money problems, which cause the most amount of stress. It’s essential to set a budget, but you have to respect it. You can’t set aside holiday spending money and exceed that limit just because you want to. It’s okay to be conservative with your funds. Consider making gifts from scratch to avoid spending a lot on miscellaneous stuff.
#2: Squeeze The Hegu Spot
Acupressure is the practice of applying pressure to specific points on the body that trigger internal responses. To aid stress reduction, you need to apply pressure to the hegu spot, which is between the thumb and index finger. Apply firm pressure in this area for 30 seconds to help reduce stress and upper body tension. Make sure to breathe deeply while squeezing this area.
#3: Out With The Old
Because of COVID-19, your holiday season may not look the same. That’s perfectly fine! It may be frustrating to not spend time with family, but holidays don’t have to look the same this year. More often than not, it’s beneficial to welcome new ways of celebrating. Leave the traditions of old behind this year and enjoy the present. Many psychologists recommend that people start new traditions this year, which will focus your attention on positivity, instead of negativity and longing.
#4: Be Realistic
Once you accept that the perfect holiday celebration doesn’t exist, life is a dream. Don’t concern yourself with what society and commercials deem as the perfect holiday setup. Make the holidays special for your family. Once you start comparing your holiday situation to the rest of the world, you’ll see the tidal wave of stress on the horizon. Let this year be a chance to focus on love, generosity, and fun within your household and your stress will melt away.
#5: Say Yes To Sex
You didn’t think that this would be the final recommendation for reducing holiday stress, did you? As it turns out, health experts say that a good old-fashioned roll in the hay with your loved one gets rid of your stress. Additionally, it works to boost endorphin production and raise levels of oxytocin, which helps promote better sleep. Sex is also a great way to boost self-esteem.
Don’t let the world dictate your holiday season. Make it special with your family and you will have a stress-free holiday season. Don’t forget that it’s all about love and spending time together.
