12 Posts of Christmas: #6 Keeping the Season Bright

With Christmas day only a week away, I know many of us are starting to stress out. Visiting in-laws, last minute gift purchases, and hosting Christmas for the first time are just a few of the common stressors people face as a the big day draws near. So for our 6th post of Christmas, I'm going to share my top 10 holiday stress managing techniques. These techniques aren't in any order and there's no reason for you to limit yourself to just one.

#10: Wake up and smell the citrus.

Every been notice how the smell of orange or lemon just makes you feel better. That's because citrus fragrances boost your norepinephrine levels. Norepinephrine is a hormone that affects your mood, so for a quick pick-me-up, take a whiff of some lemon or orange essential oil.

#9: Walk it out.

Even before I did the research on this, I knew that taking a walk was a good way for me to calm down whenever I was at the tipping point. As it turns out, walking actually is therapeutic to the brain and can help to decrease anxiety. If you start to feel like Mount Vesuvius this holiday season, take a nice 30-minute walk to let off some steam.

#8: Cut out the excess.

You've got a lot on your plate and most of it is probably self-induced. The most important thing about Christmas is to enjoy it. If your cooking for a dozen people, shopping for every little cousin in your family, organizing a party and decorating every inch of your house it may be time to scratch an item or two off the to-do list or at the very least enlist some help.

#7: LOL.

No I'm not laughing at you, I'm telling YOU to laugh out loud. In the battle against stress, their is no greater ally than comedy. Genuine laughter cuts down the amount of stress hormone in your system, so take time out to get a good laugh in.

#6: Silence is golden.

Especially when you've got 40 friends constantly circulating Christmas memes and holiday chain messages. Take a break from all that buzz by either keeping your phone on vibrate or by muting the notification that you honestly don't care about.

#5: Chocolate and spice will make you feel nice.

It's been scientifically proven that chocolate and spicy foods both help trigger the release of endorphins, the feel good hormones. So take some time to enjoy your favorite chocolate bar or a nice bowl of spicy curry.

#4: A gift that gives back.

Not many people know that giving a massage is even better for you than receiving one. Working out someone else tension helps you to resolve yours due to the increased focus and concentrated movement. It truly is better to give than receive in this case.

#3: Work it out.

Oh yes, its time to sweat. I used to think this only applied to when I would hit the punching bag, but as it turns out any decent 30-45 minute workout can you help you reduce stress significantly.

#2: Jam on it.

This is one of the more commonly known stress reducers. Music truly soothes the savage beast, so long as you enjoy that type of music. If you listen to death metal normally, don't force yourself to listen to "calming music". Its the enjoyment you get from the music not the music itself that responsible for lowering your stress.

#1: When I get that feeling...

Ok now its REALLY time to sweat. Hitting the sheets is the ultimate stress reducer. It's like getting and receiving a massage while working out with your favorite music playing. Not only does sex raise your endorphins levels, it also raises your oxytocin levels to help you sleep like a champ.

What do you guys do to see your holiday spirits up. Let me know in the comments and don't forget to subscribe to Yagoli.comSaveSaveSaveSaveSaveSaveSaveSaveSaveSaveSaveSaveSaveSaveSaveSaveSaveSave

#Christmas #Health #Stress #ManagingStress #Relaxation