Episode 45: The Calm For The Holidays Video
midlife, midlife women, over 40, women over 40, stress management in midlife, midlife emotional health, midlife health, stress free holiday, midlife wellbeing
There's hustle and bustle, and cooking, and shopping, and baking, and planning, and cleaning, and decorating, and entertaining
And it's all fun...but...it's also stressful. And all stress, even good stress, is hard on the body.
Can you believe Thanksgiving is next week already? And with it comes the start of the holiday season! Time is flying, friends. If you're like us, this time of year, you get spread a little too thin because you’re doing all the day to day things you typically do, plus you've added in all the holiday extras. Also, there's more family time. Some of us may find this extra stressful, because we can't choose our family (you know what we mean)! The holiday season with all of it's joy and fun can run you ragged and really throw your body off if you aren't careful. So in this week's episode of Life after Kids with Drs. Brooke and Lynne, we're talking all about how to remain calm and reduce stress during the holiday.
Let's talk about a few simple things to put into place so you stay calm and actually enjoy the holiday:
Start on the inside. It's important to keep our nervous system calm so we adapt to the stress of the holidays more easily. Try these simple things:
meditation- seated, savasana, or a quiet walk outside
breathwork- deep breaths, filling your diaphragm breathing in your nose and out of your mouth
herbal/plant therapy- CBD, magnesium, GABA, passion flower, chamomile, skull cap
essential oils like lavendar- apply topically right before the holiday gathering
Self Affirmations
use verbal reminders daily that you are strong, capable, calm, peaceful, and centered
Don't take yourself too seriously
give yourself alot of grace during this time, everything doesn't have to be perfect
Maintain an attitude of gratitude even for family members who are a little less lovable than others.
Try to focus on the positives about them, not the negative
Remember, you can't control other people, but you can control the way you react to them
Play music
music can be a great distraction, it lightens the load and sets a positive tone for the day
No politics or religion talk, please (this should go without saying, but here's your reminder in case you needed one!)
As we get older, we need to realize that the point of the holidays isn't to be stressed, running around like an idiot, worrying about everything being good and perfect. The point is to be present. To take it all in. To enjoy it. To be joyful. We can achieve this by calming our nervous system and taking practical action steps to manage stress. Start unwinding a bit with this week's episode of Life after Kids with Drs. Brooke and Lynne. Watch The Calm For The Holidays Video by clicking the picture above! Happy Thanksgiving! We're so grateful for you!