How should I manage holidya stress?

Use relaxation techniques suh as slow breathing and have make sure you have a good sleeping environment.

According to experts, this is a type of resistance training that focuses on posture improvement, breathing exercises, and meditation.

Avoiding Holiday Stress

Q: How to prepare for holiday travel?

If flying, arrive two hours before a domestic flight and three hours before an international flight as recommended by the TSA.

Updated May 27, 2022

Gift photo created by mdjaff - www.freepik.com

Holidays Can be Stressful

The Holidays are supposed to be the most wonderful time of the year right? Unfortunately, sometimes they can be overwhelming. You are asked to go from Thanksgiving to Christmas, to New Year as well as other holidays.

The holiday season revolves around buying gifts for all of your loved ones as well as scheduling large family gatherings or holiday parties. This can overall cause harm to your mental health and your ability to sleep. This page will offer some tips on how to handle the stress of the holidays and how to make sure you maintain healthy sleep. It will also help you manage stress in general.

Keep Spending Under Control

Not all of us are made of money, but we still have several people that we have to shop for. Here are a few tips that can help you keep your money in check.

Budget Your Money - Set aside an appropriate amount of money to spend on gifts. Make sure you are being realistic when planning your budget. Don’t forget that you still need money to pay bills, buy groceries, and other expenses.

Limit Shopping Time - Spending too much time in a store or a shopping mall increases the risk of overspending. Limiting your time in the store will reduce the temptation of buying goods you do not need.

Remember What It’s Really About - The Holidays are not supposed to be spending a great deal of money. Your family will appreciate whatever you give them. The Holidays are meant for family time, not bankruptcy or credit card debt.

Keep Expectations Moderate

While you may be dreaming of a perfect holiday gathering or dinner, know that usually, life does not work this way. Be prepared for something to go wrong. You might not be able to find everything that you want for your loved ones. If the holiday meal is served later than you wanted, the world will not come to an end. Remember not to be overwhelmed when you have to make a sudden change in plans.

If you have children, make sure they are on board too. Your children may have unrealistic taste when they are writing their Christmas list. Ask them to write everything down and make sure they understand they might not get everything they ask for.

Take a Break

To avoid burnout, don’t forget to give yourself some downtime. To protect your mental health, spend some quality time with your family at a movie, park, or at home. Trying to do everything by yourself for too long will quickly wear you down.

Avoid Overindulgence

During the holidays we find ourselves surrounded by much more food and beverages than normal. Using food as a comfort for stress is never a good idea. To maintain healthy habits, consider a healthy snack instead of chocolate, but don’t forget to enjoy the occasional seasonal treat.

Prepare For Holiday Travel

Last year many people were not able to travel due to the coronavirus. This year will see an increase due to the number of people who will be traveling to finally celebrate the holidays with their families. The extra people could make travel overwhelming, here are some tips to make life easier.

Travel Your Way

According to Healthline, more people have been traveling by car since the start of the pandemic. Traveling by car allows you to feel safe in your own personal space. Unfortunately for some, traveling by plane is unavoidable. To feel the safest wear your mask unless eating or drinking and try to sit in a section that is least populated, although this may be difficult during the holidays.

Arrive at the Airport Early

As a general rule before the pandemic, you should arrive two hours before a domestic flight and three hours before an international flight as recommended by the TSA. With Covid-19 regulations in place and more people, security checks will take even longer than usual.

Shopping Tips

As mentioned before, shopping for loved ones can be stressful. Here are a handful of tips that can make your life easier.

Make a list - If you are shopping for a large number of people, it is best to keep yourself organized. Keep a shopping list for family members and lists for certain things you need such as food or wrapping paper. Make sure your lists are well organized so you do not lose them.

Shop at night - Shopping after dark usually means fewer people, this will make life easier when shopping. This could also be an easy way to shop without children, making it easier to buy gifts without anyone noticing.

Shop Online - Want to avoid the crowds altogether? Then do your shopping from your home or on your phone. This is a convenient way to calmly buy your family members gifts that are hard to find (or perhaps a new mattress shipped right to their door). Make sure you order your gifts well in advance so it has time to get to you.

Stress Management

In general, sometimes stress is just unavoidable, and sometimes, it affects your ability to sleep. At US-Mattress we want to help you get a night of healthy sleep in as many ways as we can. We have provided a list of ways to help you sleep and lower your stress level if you are experiencing too much stress. For more help, check out our page on sleep loss.

Relaxation Techniques - According to sleep.org, certain techniques can help you lower your blood pressure. These techniques include taking slow deep breaths before, hypnosis, and calming exercises such as yoga or meditation. A hot shower can also help relax you.

Limit Screen Time - Electronic devices emit a blue light that is harmful to your eyes and can keep you up at night. Avoid electronic devices too close to bedtime or use special glasses that block out the blue light, you can also use a filter found on most devices. For more information check out our page on cell phones and sleep loss.

Make Smart Dietary Choices - What you eat or drink before bed can affect how you sleep. Sleep.org recommends a warm glass of milk before bed. Avoid caffeine, alcohol, and nicotine late at night. Eating heavy meals too close to bed will lead to waking up at night. For more dietary help, check out our page on food and drinks before bed.

Exercise - Exercise has been proven to be a helpful stress reliever. Experts recommend exercising 150 minutes a week, or 30 minutes a day. Make sure you work out too close to bedtime, give yourself at least 90 minutes to cool down.

Make Sure Your Environment is Relaxing - You can’t fall asleep if your environment is not relaxing enough. Make sure all lights are turned off, and any other distractions are put away. Make sure the room is quiet or there are relaxing sounds that help you fall asleep.

Conclusion

The holiday season almost always brings some kind of stress. Try to keep in mind that the holidays are supposed to be fun. Take the necessary steps to plan ahead and make your life easier. Put your mental health first, and take the necessary steps to reduce stress so you can still have a healthy night of sleep.

Remember to stay organized, make a list of everything you need to buy and do. For stress, try the recommended techniques and lifestyle changes to help give you a healthy night's sleep. The holidays are only here for a short time, remind yourself that you have survived them before and you will survive them again.