Between gift shopping, scheduling social functions, visiting family, and trying to stick to a healthy diet, the holiday season can be quite stressful even though it’s supposed to be “the most joyful time of year”. If the mere thought of the holiday season has you longing for the tranquility of February, when even the stress of your new year’s resolution has faded, this post is for you. Keep reading for our best tips and tricks to not only survive the stress of the season but to actually enjoy the holidays.
Embrace Your Resources: Battling Stress With Science
One of the primary reasons holiday stress creeps in is because we’re often so preoccupied with everyone else’s needs we tend to forget about ourselves. Remember, you can’t take care of others if you neglect self-care. The essence of the holiday season is giving and spending quality time together, but before you give, you need to ensure you’re ready to do so. Here are the 6 best resources available to you to help you cope with holiday season stress.
Resource #1 – Your lungs
Before we dive into the array of external resources that can help ease your holiday stress, let’s begin with a simple yet powerful tool: deep breathing. While it may sound cliché, the science behind mindful breathing is nothing short of extraordinary. This practice activates your parasympathetic nervous system, ushering in a sense of relaxation amid the holiday chaos. Slow, deep breaths flood your brain and body with vital oxygen, lowering your heart rate, reducing stress levels, and improving mood (1,2). So, when the holiday frenzy threatens to overwhelm, remember that a few deep breaths can be your lifeline to tranquility.
Resource #2 – Nutrition
When you eat good, you feel good. While holiday sweets might be calling your name all day long, enjoying them in moderation is vital to maintaining your health, especially considering that so many holiday foods trick you into feeling satiated but only provide “empty calories”. It’s important to make sure you’re meeting your daily nutritional needs, so that your body can keep up with the demands of the holiday season.
Of course, the best way to nourish your body is with healthy food. However, we understand that sometimes your diet falls short and you need an extra boost to meet your nutritional needs. This is why we created our Multi-Vitamin supplement, with vitamins, minerals, and even fruits and vegetables to help you meet your nutritional needs. Packed with essential nutrients, a supplement could make all the difference in ensuring you have the energy and vitality to tackle everything on your holiday to-do list.
Resource #3 – Calming Herbs
Certain herbs and foods have anti-anxiety properties which may be able to help you feel more calm in the face of holiday season stress. For example, Magnolia bark extract has demonstrated anxiolytic (anxiety-relieving) properties without sedative effects (3), Chamomile flower has exhibited calming effects when taken long-term (4), and Siberian Ginseng may alleviate anxiety and depression caused by stress (5).
I know that sounds like a random list of herbs that you might have no idea how to incorporate into your diet. Don’t worry, Approved Science® is here for you! Our Anxietex™ formula contains the herbs mentioned above as well as amino acids, vitamins, and Magnesium -all of which have shown themselves to be beneficial for individuals facing anxiety and stress. Alternatively, an Ashwagandha supplement may be able to help. Ashwagandha is considered an adaptogen that helps the body to cope with physical and emotional stress and may even improve energy levels (6).
Resource #4 – Sleep
The temptation to stay up late may seem irresistible during the holiday season because there’s just so much to do, but try to make sure you’re giving your body the time it needs to sleep and recharge itself. A good night’s sleep is not just a gift to yourself but a recipe for a brighter, stress-free holiday season. Sleep is not only an escape from holiday stress, but it also benefits the immune system, cognitive function, cardiovascular health, and most importantly for the holiday season, mood regulation (7, 8, 9).
Unfortunately, an estimated 70 million Americans suffer from sleep disorders (10). If you want to give yourself the sleep you need but find it hard to fall asleep or stay asleep, it might be time get yourself a holiday gift. With its research-backed formula and ability to help calm the nervous system and promote sleep, Sleepsyl™ could be the key to a better night’s sleep and subsequently better days!
Resource #5 – Vitamin C
Stress can leave your immune system vulnerable, making you susceptible to holiday colds and ailments. Vitamin C is the most popular immune booster and for good reason. Studies have found that Vitamin C deficiency makes individuals more susceptible to infections (11). Furthermore, a meta-analysis on Vitamin C supplementation found that this vitamin does indeed seem to shorten the duration and severity of colds (12). You can easily increase your Vitamin C intake by eating more fruits or taking a supplement.
Conclusion
The holiday season should be a time of joy and connection, not a battle against stress and exhaustion. At Approved Science®, we’re committed to being your trusted companion on your health care journey, this festive season and always. Whether it’s deep breaths, multi-vitamins, or a peaceful night’s sleep, we have the science-backed solutions to help you thrive during the holidays. By practicing holiday self-care with the support of Approved Science® supplements (that your doctor has approved for you), you’re not only giving yourself the gift of a stress-free and joyful holiday season, but you’re also giving those around you the gift of your best self. Here’s to a season filled with warmth, love, and tranquility!