Tips to help you handle Holiday Stress

On top of your regular deadlines, traffic, decisions and relationships, you now have more with holiday deadlines, gifts to buy, events to attend, shopping, traffic and more people who are getting on your nerves.......

Sometimes all you need is a reminder, a quick tip you can do to relieve stress, other times you need a coach or counselor when the stress is more than you can handle by yourself.

These 10 items are quick reminders of easy things you can do now, to shift your stress energy and go back to enjoying your holiday time.

Top Tips:
1.DO SOMETHING
"Stress will only increase with your permission.
If you desire more of it, do nothing.
If you desire less of it, do something.
If you’ve been doing nothing,
doing something means everything!”
Co-author, Debra Costanzo, 3 in 1 Fitness

2. BREATHE
“For breath is life, and if you breathe well you will live long on earth.” ~Sanskrit Proverb ~

Your breath says more about you than what you may have eaten for lunch. Breathing is your body's way of getting oxygen into your blood and expelling the waste CO2 gas.
Your body can survive without food for weeks, without water for days; you can only go a few minutes without breathing before health problems begin to occur in your body. Breathing is really kinda important, and your breath can be an indicator of your emotional state of stress as well as a tool to show stress that you have control. For most people, our breathing changes when we are stressed. We will begin to breath shallow and rapidly, whether we are thinking about it or physically participating in something that is causing us to feel stressed. Just as you unconsciously learned to breathe shallow under stress, you can consciously start breathing fully again. So when you feel yourself stressed, start being conscious of your breathing. Breathe deep and full, expand your body and let go of stress when you exhale.

3. Let go of people that aggravate you.

Visualize them floating away from you on a peaceful stream.
Hold onto the feeling of peace.
Barbara Kramer, contributor

Trash Bag Technique
Imagine you have a huge plastic trash bag in front of you. Imagine the person’s negative or hostile words dropping right into the bag. Do not take their words into yourself. Once the venting is over, imagine the garbage truck pulling up, put the bag into the truck and watch it leave. Co-author, Aila Accad, RN, MSN.

4. ”Count your joys instead of your woes;
Count your friends instead of your foes.”
~ Irish Saying ~

5. Seek Guidance
Visualize your Higher Self’s light above and around you, feel the love and warmth. Allow your Higher Self to guide you to a safe and nurturing place in your mind. Feel your Higher Self’s presence with you, comforting you. Be with your Higher Self’s presence for a while and when you are ready, ask for a message of guidance from your Higher Self. Co-author, Nancy Miiller, Reconnect from Within

6. Boost your endorphins with laughter and share the joy.
“A person without a sense of humor is like a wagon without springs.It's jolted by every pebble on the road.” ~ Henry Ward Beecher ~

Researchers at Loma Linda University have reported that just the anticipation of the "mirthful laughter" involved in watching your favorite funny movie boosts endorphins 27 percent. So think about a good joke you want to share or a funny movie you are going to watch and have an endorphin rush twice – in the anticipation and in the doing. Someone laughing will trigger other people to laugh, so it really is contagious. Share your joy

7. Re-frame things
Choosing to look at any situation in a positive light can be very challenging, but it is a power we all posses. Feeling empowered is so important to our healing and recovery process. Sometimes you just need to dig down and find the sunny spot. Co-author, Gina Cotroneo, Souls Calling

8. Push your own buttons.
Use acupressure and reflexology to relax your body, and release your stress. “By giving yourself a gentle foot massage you're giving your body a chance to balance and remove blockages. Gently press and rub the soles of your feet for a few minutes each day to reduce reduce tension and improve the overall health of your entire system.” Contributor, Ellen Whitehurst, Feng Shui Expert, Astrologist
9. Just Scream
Breathe in slowly, and this time exhale slowly and scream out one word making it last 20 seconds. Breathe and repeat until your stress level lowers. Co-author, Beverly Edelstein, Sales Executive

10. Let it Go
 “Finish each day and be done with it. You have done what you could.Some blunders and absurdities no doubt crept in, forget them as soon as you can. Tomorrow is a new day, you shall begin it well and serenely…” ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson ~

When even the most dedicated efforts to use these and other tools is more than you can handle on your own, support with a coach or counselor may be the solution. Even the strongest person needs help sometimes.