10 Ways to Destress for the Holidays and Beyond!
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With the holiday season approaching, it’s more important than ever to learn a few quick tips to reduce stress. Keeping your stress level down is just as important to your overall health as eating well and exercising regularly. We’ve asked WellcomeMD’s health coach, Amber Gabriel, for some easy tips on how to decrease stress in your life. “Any of these tools can be used when you need to bring yourself back to your own personal point of calm,” she recommends.
1. Take up an enjoyable hobby. You’ll not only get some time to focus on something that brings you joy, but if it’s a social activity you’ll have an opportunity to be with people whose company you enjoy. Even better if you allow yourself to get lost in an enjoyable activity enough that you find yourself in a state of “flow”.
2. Get more social. Increase the time you spend around people you enjoy. Meet with friends regularly or volunteer.
3. Get outside daily. Take up gardening, go on a walk or better yet, go on a hike. Increase your daily NEAT (non-exercise activity thermogenesis) a critical component to maintaining a healthy weight.
4. Get a massage. Better yet, try to schedule one regularly.
5. Meditate, pray, or quietly reflect as often as possible.
6. Gain perspective. Step back and think about what’s stressing you out. How will today’s stressor fit into the big picture. Will it still be relevant in five years?
7. Take a digital detox. Put your phone away for a set amount of time and limit screen time. This means no checking your email, texts, or social media.
8. Take deep breaths. Focus especially on a long out-breath. This will immediately calm your stress response. Try box breathing: Breathe in for a count of four, hold for four, breathe out for four, and hold for four again. Repeat for at least two minutes.
9. Practice gratitude. Keep a daily journal or write a letter to someone you appreciate.
10. Try a mind body scan. Find a quiet place with no distractions. Set a timer for five minutes if you’d like. Sit or lie down, start at the top of your head, and slowly notice the physical sensations of your body all the way down to your toes. Observe, don’t judge.
Ask yourself:
What are you feeling physically?
What are you feeling emotionally?
What are you thinking?
Amber Gabriel is a health coach at WellcomeMD’s medical concierge clinic in Charlotte, NC. Amber earned her health and wellness certification from the Institute for Integrative Nutrition. As an avid consumer of health-related podcasts, research, and books, Amber is eager to share her knowledge with others. She is passionate about helping her clients understand their unique ability to limit toxins and nourish their mind, body, and spirit along their health journey. In addition to health and wellness coaching, Amber is also a yoga instructor and personal trainer with expertise in gut health and toxin elimination.
