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Whether you’re traveling, cooking, or just worried about how you’re going to face Aunt Mildred, the need for holiday stress tips is all too real. Luckily, we’re here to help the Highline humans and anyone reading this with our top five ideas for how to manage all your holiday stress, one tipsy uncle or broken ornament at a time!
Plan ahead & learn to say no.
One of the toughest parts about the holidays is making time for all the activities you want to enjoy, from trying out the latest cookie recipes from New York Times Cooking to getting in all your holiday shopping to simply spending time with friends and family you haven’t seen in months.
It can be hard not to overcommit, but your heart will forgive you and your brain will thank you if you do your best to plan ahead and accept that you don’t need to accept every invitation that comes your way. Carve out time in advance to tackle the activities and events most important to you and remind yourself that loved ones and colleagues will understand. Think of it this way: they might be in the exact same boat, attempting to take holiday stress tips, and will be secretly relieved when you politely say no!
Meditate & practice self-care.
It’s extra important to take care of yourself during the holidays. One of the best things about meditation is that you can literally do it anywhere. If you find your niece's excitement over Peppa Pig a little too much to bear, find a quiet corner, put in your AirPods, and do a 5-minute guided meditation from the Headspace app.
Just because family time is the point of holiday events doesn’t mean you can’t have a few minutes to yourself. If you feel stress creeping in, sneak away for alone time. Just a few minutes spent meditating can help you reset, clearing your mind of chaos so you can rejoin the gathering refreshed and relaxed. Even if meditation isn’t your thing, simply stepping away and being alone for a few minutes can work wonders – and if nothing else, provide a brief reprieve from family drama! A brief walk around the neighborhood is another option we love, letting you clear your head while enjoying the local light displays.
Before and after holiday events, practice self-care at home through relaxing rituals such as lighting candles, listening to relaxing music, and taking soothing baths infused with CBD bamb bombs.
Maintain healthy habits, but don’t beat yourself up!
The sheer volume of ultra delicious, not-necessarily-nutritious food on the menu is admittedly one of the best parts about this time of year. Sometimes when we overindulge, we don’t feel great about ourselves. But here’s the thing: it’s okay to enjoy yourself! So one of our holiday stress tips is not to lose sight of your everyday healthy habits while also giving yourself the grace to let loose.
Do your best to eat healthy meals around the big holiday ones so that when you are faced with a plethora of delicious options, you’ll find snacking on cheese and baked goods that much more enjoyable. But perhaps most important of all, get plenty of quality sleep (try our night gummies!) and make sure to partake in physical activity every single day. Yoga is a simple, low-stress option that you can do from anywhere. Simpler yet is just going for a daily walk, which might just be one of the best exercises for overall health.
Be kind to yourself and others.
Another one of the best holiday stress tips we can offer is to guide you to kindness, both to yourself and others. Whether you’re stuck in a long line at the grocery store, traffic that doesn’t seem to end, or an uncle who won’t stop making boorish comments, it’s truly in your own best interest to remain calm. You don’t have to let absolutely everything go – if Uncle Eddie is truly out of line, let the hostess or someone close to the situation know. Otherwise, refer back to our earlier holiday stress tip to meditate, go for a walk, and clear your head.
Try CBD or other natural stress relievers.
We’re big fans of all-natural stress relief methods. To reiterate one example that keeps coming up in our holiday stress tips: exercise! As one of the most important (and relatively easiest) things you can do to fight stress, it’s more important than ever to stick to some sort of physical activity during the holidays.
Calming scents are another natural method to fight stress relief, thanks in part to compounds known as terpenes. Terpenes are natural products produced largely by plants and certain scents are known for effects. Lavender is famously known to be calming, while peppery and woodsy scents such as cinnamon, peppermint, and rosemary are all said to be mood-boosting and even anxiety-relieving.
Then, of course, there’s CBD! We have an entire blog all about how to use CBD oil for stress, which includes tips on timing and dosage. Research around CBD for stress is ongoing, but one 2015 study published in Neurotherapeutics found that “existing preclinical evidence strongly supports CBD as a treatment for generalized anxiety disorder, panic disorder, social anxiety disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and post-traumatic stress disorder when administered acutely.”
When it comes to the holidays, nothing could be easier than keeping a bottle of Anytime CBD Gummies or CBD Oil on hand. Eat a gummy or take some oil a couple hours prior to leaving for the gathering and find comfort in at least your own calm-inducing atmosphere.
The holidays can be trying, but they don’t have to be. Our holiday stress tips are here to help, encouraging you to value your own mental health, which in turn will promote a peaceful environment all around you. Your loved ones will surely appreciate this, even if they don’t know it’s an intentional choice! Focus on the present, stay positive, and enjoy your most stress-free holiday season yet.
