Save the Season with These
5 Tips to Reduce Holiday Stress
From annual family tension to changes in your routine, the holiday season is filled with stressors — both big and small.
All that stress is compounded by a lack of rest, with most Americans struggling to find time to relax during the holidays.
If you're already worried that your holidays are going to be more humbug than happy, check out these tips for a stress-free season.
1. Manage Stress with CBD
Don’t have enough time for yourself during the holidays? Cannabidiol (CBD), a non-intoxicating compound found naturally in hemp plants, can help you manage everyday stress, encourage relaxation, and improve well-being for your mind and body. Various CBD products are now available — including gummies, chocolate, sweet CBD oil, or just a quick softgel — making it easy to choose what works best for you. Adding CBD to your daily routine is a simple, easy, and efficient way to help make the holidays less stressful.
2. Meditate
The holidays can certainly be hectic, and finding time to focus on yourself amid potluck dinners, work holiday parties, and visiting family members can be difficult. If you only have a few minutes to spare, don’t worry! Meditation is a tried and true activity that has helped reduce stress levels for thousands of years — and you can experience its benefits in less than five minutes.
There’s no “right” way to meditate, as long as it helps you achieve a more relaxed state of mind. You might benefit from guided meditation for holiday stress, where you visualize places or situations you find relaxing. Mindfulness meditation is another effective technique that uses deep breathing and focus to heighten your awareness of the present moment. Even if you’re only able to practice your chosen method for a minute, meditation is excellent for quieting a busy mind, reducing stress, and finding a place of calm.
3. Move Your Body
Simply moving your body is another great way to relieve stress if you feel overwhelmed by holiday planning. While high-intensity cardio can help to flush excess cortisol (a stress hormone) from your system, you don’t need to run a marathon to reap the benefits of exercise.
A short, brisk walk, a ten-minute yoga video, or even a few jumping jacks can take your mind off those holiday stressors.
4. Read a Book
you don’t feel like exercising your body to reduce stress, try exercising your mind! Reading can help reduce stress and increase relaxation. Because reading fully engages the mind and the imagination — forcing the brain to focus on a single task — it can serve as a form of meditation.
And you don’t need to read an entire novel! A study showed that only six minutes of reading can reduce stress levels by more than two-thirds. So grab
A Christmas Carol, How the Grinch Stole Christmas, or your favorite holiday book and curl up in a cozy corner for a few minutes to relax and unwind before guests arrive.
5. Get Outdoors
The holiday season doesn’t always offer the best weather to enjoy the outdoors, but get outside if you’re lucky enough to live in an area with a temperate climate, or if you like snow. Simply sitting in a natural environment for 10 to 20 minutes with no distractions (that means no social media!) can help to reduce cortisol levels. So the next time that loud uncle makes a particularly aggravating comment at dinner, take a minute to step outside on your balcony or porch and enjoy the nature you can find on your doorstep.
Swap tearful holidays for cheerful holidays! Put these tips to use and visit your nearest Green Roads CBD retailer for CBD gifts for you (or them). Or, shop online and have calm-supportive CBD products shipped straight to your door!
