The holiday season from Thanksgiving to New Years Day is one of the most wonderful times of the year and a great time for family, friends and loved ones meant to bring feelings of love and cheer.
On the other hand, the holiday season usually presents a dizzying array of demands – shopping, cooking meals, cleaning, baking and entertaining and brings unwelcome guests like stress and depression.
The combination of getting the perfect gift for everyone, managing family expectations and not blowing all your budget can easily lead to higher-than-average stress levels. But even if you can’t enjoy a completely peaceful holiday season, you can take steps to minimise the stressors, support your mental health and dodge the seasonal blues during the holidays.
Plan Ahead
At the start of the season, consider making a plan for the upcoming weeks so you can prioritise your usual habits and daily activities as much as possible.
Look at your to-do list for the next few weeks, and pick a suitable time when you can complete various tasks. For example, spend a few hours on Friday night shopping for holiday gifts. Or take some time on Saturday mornings to do some holiday baking.
Create A Holiday Budget
The next step is to determine a maximum amount for each recipient or each gift you plan to give as well as how much you will spend on drinks, food and decorations. Having a budget for a Christmas shopping list can help you create boundaries for your wallet and avoid impulsive shopping or spending too much money on your holiday gifts.
Once you decide how much money you can afford to spend, try to stick to your budget. There is nothing worse than waking up the day after Christmas, not knowing where your paycheck went. You will be glad you did.
Take Care Of Your Body
In hectic times like the holiday season, it’s easy to forget to take care of your body. However, going for a brisk walk or jog, lifting weights, practising yoga – all have been shown to activate the release of hormones that enhance your mood and diminish those feelings of anxiety that often are fueled by the holiday pressure.
If you add a little bit of sunshine to your physical activity by going outside, those feel-good serotonin levels will also boost your immune system. While exercise helps to strengthen the immune system and keep you from getting sick, remember to get enough sleep and stick to healthy choices to stay healthy. Getting sick during Christmas is the absolute worst, so you need to do your best to avoid it!
Try Out CBD Oil
To improve your mental health, and enjoy the holidays without stress or pain, consider taking CBD oil. Cannabidiol (better known as CBD) is one of more than 100 chemical compounds naturally found in Cannabis sativa plants. CBD is a generally safe, non-addictive and non-intoxicating component known to interact with your body’s endocannabinoid system responsible for controlling various functions such as sleep, pain, memory, stress, appetite, immune response, etc. Intake of CBD oil can help to regulate these processes and provide needed relief, whether it is chronic pain, anxiety, high levels of stress or restless sleep.
Cannabidiol comes in different formats and concentrations, allowing each person to find the right product for his or her needs. You can start your CBD adventure with a traditional tincture or CBD capsules or even treat yourself with tasty and beneficial CBD gummies or a chocolate bar, a relaxing bath bomb or soothing tea. These CBD products also might be great gifts ideas for your family members, friends or colleagues.
Be Flexible
Holidays require planning so each person can get through them without too much stress. However, like most things, sticking to a plan can go too far. Harshness and intransigence will only cause bad feelings.
Try to be flexible and stop obsessing overdoing it all. The world is not going to end if dinner is on the table a few minutes late or the house is a little cluttered. Keep an “Oh, well!” attitude and focus your energy on spending the time with the people in your life. Use common sense and accept the changes in the plan, and your holiday will be much more enjoyable!
