7 Tips to Help You Manage Holiday Stress

7 Tips to Manage Stress During the Holidays

The holidays are a joyous time filled with friends, family, and food.  Holiday parties, family get togethers, office parties, etc. While the holidays are great, do you ever get completely stressed?  

So many of my patients state stress eating while others can't eat when stressed.  On top of how stress affects our appetite, there can be additional pressure in regards to eating and drinking at holiday parties and functions.  Whether you find yourself eating more or less when stress occurs or just need to find some ways to destress, here are some of my top tips to help you get through the holiday season.

Eating consistently

Eating consistently throughout the day to avoid highs/lows in blood sugar.  Avoid skipping meals and pack healthy snacks. Traffic, check out lines, and added time in stores can all lead to failing to eat frequently.  This can lead to gorging on food when you get home or for others, can lead to low blood sugars. Low blood sugars can lead to us being more anxious and stressed.  To avoid this, consume a carb and a protein every 3-4hrs. Ideally we will have 3 meals a day and snacks in between as necessary.

Mindful Eating

Mindful Eating is so important. We tend to go through our days very quickly grabbing whatever we can find to eat. Or maybe we have been so busy we don’t eat at all.  Have you actually been able to taste your food? Did you enjoy your food? Do you even know what you consumed? Mindful eating brings us back to actually tasting and enjoying our food. Knowing that we actually did eat and what we ate.  Some things to think about are listed here

How Hungry am I?  On a scale of 1 to 10, how hungry are you?

What does my food taste like - sweet, salty, sour?

What is the texture of the food?

Do I feel full?  Should I stop eating?

This can help to determine if we are actually hungry or just grabbing items as they look tasty or possibly out of boredom/stress eating.  It is also important to try to taste your food and enjoy your food. Sitting down and eating slowly. This will help you to actually feel satiety.

Exercise!!

Exercise is truly a medication in itself. When we exercise, or body releases endorphins which will make us feel happier as well as deal with stressful situations better.  

You don't need to go to the gym to exercise.  Take a walk with family and friends and look at Christmas lights.  Take a few extra laps around the mall. Dance-off at a holiday party/function.  A good old walk in nature is always beneficial!

Meditation and Guided Imagery.

Meditation and Guided Imagery help our body to relax.  Both methods also can help us deal with stress better by calming ourselves down.  Many times we think of meditation as just sitting with our own thoughts in a quiet room.  While some people can do this, many can not. Luckily there are many websites and apps that can assist us in meditation.  In your search engine (Google), enter guided imagery or meditation and find the best sequence that works for you. Guided Imagery will walk you through a calming sequence while viewing a scenery of your choosing.  That could be a beach, waves, rain, or thunder. There are many different options online, keep searching till you find the one that works best for you!

Breathing / Meditation Apps

For those that like to have apps on the phone, there are many good options.  Many of these options can also be used on a computer as well. Check out different options to see what works best for you.  Some of the options include Paced Breathing, Calm, Insight Timer, and Headspace. Some of the apps are truly just breathing apps while others offer meditation and Guided Imagery as well.  All of the above apps are free with some of the apps having a paid version if you want more options.

Take time for yourself

The holidays are so busy and of course work and life are also thrown into the mix.  It is important to take some time for yourself to decompress and allow yourself to relax.  Make a list of priorities and see what really needs to be done. Schedule in time for YOU and any of the other items listed in this blog or your own hobbies.

**And the biggest one!  IT'S OK to say NO!**

You don't have to do everything.  You don't have to eat everything that people are pushing in front of you.  You don't HAVE to do anything! It is completely fine to say “NO”!

I hope these tips help you manage the holiday season.  Here is to a wonderful holiday season with love and laughter and as little stress as possible!

Happy Holidays!

Kim Pierce, MS, RD, LDN, CDE

Disclosure: These are tips to help you manage stress.  A counselor or therapist is always recommended.