During the holidays, did you feel like you could wrestle someone to the ground for the last Pomsies or Fingerlings HUGS? Maybe you even did! You had two months of holidays and that takes longer than just a quick workout to relieve stress from that kind of pressure. Even things that seem a bit inconsequential when you really stop to think about them, like the best dish to take to a holiday celebration or whether you’re wearing the perfect outfit for a celebration, can take its toll. Add to it the dreary cold weather and you have a mix that can get you down. Think of January and February as your cool-down period to eliminate that stress and get back to feeling great again.
Start eating healthy again.
Yes indeed, the holidays are a time to binge out and go into a sugar coma. Even if you’ve been super good about skipping the holiday treats, there’s always someone that buys you your favorite candy or brings you homemade goodies that taste so delicious, you have to eat them all. All that sugar can boost your energy level and then drop it into the pits, adding to the stress. It’s time to start eating fresh again and choosing whole foods. Detox with super healthy eating for a week. Include lots of water and water filled fruits and vegetables like melons. Watermelon is a great system flusher. Stick with low glycemic soups for lunch and eat a healthy breakfast such as oatmeal. Be sure to include plenty of fiber. Salads are a great addition.
Get back to your workout schedule if you’ve neglected it.
Creating a schedule and sticking with it is a good stress buster. It puts your brain on automatic. When that schedule is for exercise, it’s even better. Exercise works your body and burns off the hormones of stress. It also triggers the creation of happy hormones that make you feel more content. Make the new year be a time where you take care of you. Start doing extra things, like walking more or taking the steps, to boost your fitness.
Learn a new way to relax.
It’s the new year, learn a new technique. Breathing exercises and meditation can help you cool down in seconds, but they take time to learn. Make this the year you finally conquer them so it only takes seconds to de-stress and get back to normalcy. Over the years, the subject of finding your “happy place” has become almost a joke, but it really isn’t. Finding a visual image in your head that makes you feel good is a true stress reliever and emotional booster.
- If you find yourself ready to boil over, walk away. Not only will it give you a chance to recompose, that walk will help you blow off the steam. The more frustrated you are, the faster you should walk. For super stressful times, run up and down the stairs.
- Take time for yourself. Take a leisurely bath, enjoy a few minutes relaxing to your favorite music. Take a mid afternoon nap. Whatever it takes to feel a bit pampered is okay.
- Get adequate sleep. You can’t burn the candle at both ends and expect to feel good. Getting adequate sleep is important no matter what time of the year it is.
- Switch out that caffeine for plain water. Nobody would expect you to give up that first cup of coffee in the morning, but switching to herbal tea or plain water throughout the day can help you feel more relaxed.