9 Holiday Health Tips That Reduce Stress

Did you know there are ways to reduce stress? Here are some of them; use CBD to relax, use moderation, find healthy alternatives, increase your vegetable intake, do not rush, and take walks.

The holidays are a time to spend with family and friends, but it can be stressful to ensure that the house is tidy, that the food is prepared, and that all the gifts are wrapped and ready. These elements have the potential to bring about unwelcome tension and despair at a moment that should be filled with joy. The time around the holidays may be a highly stressful period of life. It's easy for stress levels to rise quickly when you factor in things like traveling, meal planning, gift shopping, and unexpected costs. There are some straightforward holiday health suggestions you can try to implement to lower your stress levels.

Use CBD to Help You Relax

During Christmas, if you cannot remember some things, Moltke & Hindocha (2021) recommended taking CBD daily. Try adding it to your food to make things simpler. Cookies, muffins, and even monkey bread may be flavored with CBD, and the results are excellent. Life may become more relaxed, tranquil, and peaceful after consuming CBD. Serotonin is a feel-good neurotransmitter that can help reduce anxiety and increase mood. Da Cunha et al. (2019) suggested that CBD may help activate serotonin in the body. More research suggests that cannabidiol, or CBD, may help reduce the severity of symptoms associated with anxiety and depression and make them easier to manage.

Use Moderation

Nothing could be worse than depriving oneself of all the delicious treats available throughout Christmas. Moderation is essential to maintain your health without inflicting unnecessary suffering on yourself. Brumberg-Kraus (2020) indicated that moderation is best to keep your meals for breakfast and lunch on the lighter and healthier side. You won't feel guilty or worried about what to eat during supper.

Make an effort to control the size of the portions you eat during supper. It's tempting to pile as much food as possible onto your plate and eat it all, even when you know you should stop. Instead of loading up a single plate with all the food, portion it into smaller portions and eat it as you need.

Find Healthy Alternatives

Mora et al. (2018) stated that there are different approaches to cooking healthier holiday food without sacrificing flavor. For instance, reducing the amount of butter used in a recipe and baking it rather than frying it are two simple strategies to make your favorite dishes healthier.

In addition to being an excellent method for increasing the level of health, cooking meals from scratch is a great approach. Many processed foods available for purchase include excessive sugar and salt compared to what is required. When you make items at home, you have complete control over the ingredients that go into them.

Increase Your Vegetable Intake

Heijnen et al. (2017) recommended having a greater variety of vegetables available for side dishes, as they are an excellent accompaniment to a meal. Ensuring everyone eats their vegetables can be accomplished in a straightforward and delectable manner by serving salads with homemade dressing, roasted root vegetables, and veggie trays.

Do Not Rush

Eating rapidly at times can be simple, but doing so could harm your body. By digesting your food thoroughly and taking your time to enjoy your meal, you give your stomach the time to communicate with your brain that it is complete, which can help you avoid eating more than you need to.

Take Walks

Walking is an excellent way to enhance digestion, get some movement in, and de-stress, and it is best done shortly after a meal. If you live near a hiking trail, you should spend half an hour exploring it. It is also not a problem if you do not live close to a hiking path or a park. Taking a walk around the neighborhood is another effective method.

Exercise Regularly

A significant portion of most people's daily routines includes some form of physical activity. Nevertheless, the holidays have a way of throwing regular schedules off kilter. It is pretty tricky for you to get in a workout when you are not near a gym and do not have any of the necessary equipment. However, regular exercise is necessary for maintaining one's physical and mental health, especially during the holiday season.

Even if you have to get creative, there are methods to include physical activity for the day, and you can even get your family involved. You can organize a fun game of touch football with your visitors, go for a jog, or perform a brief workout in the living room. Other options include going for a swim or going to the gym. Doing physical activity is one of the best ways to alleviate stress; therefore, you shouldn't skip it just because the holidays are coming up.

Get Enough Sleep

Do not deviate too much from your typical sleeping and eating pattern during the holidays. This phase may be tough to implement, mainly if there are parties or guests to attend, as this will require spending time with others. But getting enough sleep helps keep your energy levels up, so make sure you don't forget to catch some shuteye every once in a while.

Have Some Alone Time

Maintaining a constant presence of friends and family members can be taxing and stressful to the individual. Make it a point to carve out some time for yourself every day. Take a stroll after dinner, take a quick trip to the shop by yourself to pick up some items, or sit quietly in meditation for a few minutes.

Plan Ahead

Several commitments may inevitably fall on the same day because coworkers, friends, and family have their schedules. Be sure to plan for what events you can attend physically or digitally. When hosting the holidays this year, making a menu can help you stay organized and simplify shopping for groceries.

Conclusion

The holidays are an excellent time to spend with loved ones, but they also have a reputation for being exceptionally stressful. You may lower stress levels during this significant time of year by implementing a few straightforward holiday health suggestions. This will allow you to take full advantage of all this season's offers. The anxiety that comes with the holidays can be reduced by following a few keys and actionable pieces of advice. Following these suggestions will help you enjoy the holidays more than anticipated. Including CBD as a regular part of your routine can make your life simpler and more well-balanced, freeing up more of your physical and mental resources for the things that truly matter.

References

Brumberg-Kraus, J. (2020). The Role Of Ritual In Eating. Handbook Of Eating And Drinking: Interdisciplinary Perspectives, 333-348.

Jesus, C. H. A., Redivo, D. D. B., Gasparin, A. T., Sotomaior, B. B., De Carvalho, M. C., Genaro, K., ... & Da Cunha, J. M. (2019). Cannabidiol Attenuates Mechanical Allodynia In Streptozotocin-Induced Diabetic Rats Via Serotonergic System Activation Through 5-HT1A Receptors. Brain Research, 1715, 156-164.

Moltke, J., & Hindocha, C. (2021). Reasons For Cannabidiol Use: A Cross-Sectional Study Of CBD Users, Focusing On Self-Perceived Stress, Anxiety, And Sleep Problems. Journal Of Cannabis Research, 3(1), 1-12.

Reinders, M. J., Huitink, M., Dijkstra, S. C., Maaskant, A. J., & Heijnen, J. (2017). Menu-Engineering In Restaurants-Adapting Portion Sizes On Plates To Enhance Vegetable Consumption: A Real-Life Experiment. International Journal Of Behavioral Nutrition And Physical Activity, 14(1), 1-11.

Sogari, G., Velez-Argumedo, C., Gómez, M. I., & Mora, C. (2018). College Students And Eating Habits: A Study Using An Ecological Model For Healthy Behavior. Nutrients, 10(12), 1823.