Tag Archives: stress

May19

Reduce Your Stress With These Hobbies

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Reduce Your Stress With These Hobbies

Every person in the world experiences stress now and then. It’s important to know that it is a very normal part of life. That being said, extreme stress or prolonged periods of stress can result in several health problems. The best way for you to relieve this stress would be for you to try and do things you enjoy. If you want to find some stress relieving hobbies, why not try the following?

Walking:

Taking a walk outside can work wonders when it comes to your overall health. A quick walk can help to stop you from overthinking, is a healthy distraction from your thoughts, and a great form of exercise.

Listening to Music:

Listening to music or playing your favorite songs is an excellent way for you to put yourself in a good mood. One major plus here is that there are even some health benefits to listening to music for half an hour, every single day. It can lower your blood pressure and it can also calm anxiety. If you want to play an instrument, check out Sound and Music.

Yoga:

One activity that is great if you want to gain traction for melting stress would be yoga. Yoga is a fantastic way for you to build strength or tone up. Studies have shown time and time again that yoga can reduce your stress response and it can have a major impact on those who are experiencing stress and anxiety.

Reading:

If you want a cheap hobby that won’t break the bank, crack open a good book. Reading for just five minutes a day is enough to reduce stress, not to mention that it gives you the chance to escape to a fictional world. You can leave reality behind for as long as you want and wipe out tension with ease.

Gardening:

It’s time for you to get your gardening gloves out and start planting! As the warmer weather hits, you will soon find that it’s easier than ever for you to get outside and garden. Studies have shown that gardening can boost your mood and it can help to regulate the hormone known as cortisol. Not only is gardening a proven mood booster, but it can also give you the chance to focus all of your attention on a single activity. This helps to distract you from whatever it is you’re going through right now.

Hiking:

Nothing beats a scenic view! Walking in nature can help to put an end to your pattern of obsessing, in addition to exposing you to a wonderful view. Hiking is an ideal form of aerobic exercise. You would be surprised at how beneficial it can be and it can help you in more ways than one. Why not see if there are any scenic routes you could take around your local area?

Shake your stress away by enjoying yourself with any of the hobbies above as they are tried and true methods to relieving stress!

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Apr7

Aspects Of Your Lifestyle That Impact Your Oral Health

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Aspects Of Your Lifestyle That Impact Your Oral Health

The three starting points for having great oral hygiene are to make sure that you brush, floss, and use mouthwash at home. However, you need to make sure that you are looking at different aspects of your lifestyle – could they be undoing all of your hard work? Here are a few things that could be having an impact on your teeth:

Stress:

The modern world can be very stressful and demanding, but if you don’t manage to get your stress levels under control then you might be waking up with headaches and jaw aches. Often these two things are a sign that you are clenching your teeth at night. So what can you do about it? First, you need to look at what you can do to reduce your stress levels. If you know that you are clenching your teeth and are unable to make sure that you are reducing your stress levels – then you need to speak to your dentist about the situation. They may be able to fit you with a mouth guard to stop the damage to your teeth.

Diet:

Do you have an ultra-sweet tooth? While some sugar isn’t too bad, if you are finding that you are snacking on sweets, candies, cakes, and other sweet treats often – you might not be brushing your teeth enough! For those who have a lot of sugar in their diet, it is beneficial for them to brush more times a day to reduce the chances of tooth decay and plaque. Sugar attacks your teeth, so being vigilant about your tooth care is a must. If possible, reduce the amount of sugar that you are eating in a day. Not only will it help your teeth but you’ll feel better in general.

There are some foods that can support good oral health too:

Cheese, milk, and other dairies

Black and green tea

Chewing gums (sugar free)

Foods with fluoride (poultry, seafood, and some cereals)

Fiber-rich vegetables and fruit

And one of the most important things is to make sure that you are drinking a lot of water too. Water helps dislodge any food particles between brushing, and that prevents plaque.

Dental appointments:

Are you regularly visiting your dentist? Many people skip going because they think they don’t need to go. But your dentist will be able to spot issues that are just starting and help you tackle them too. If you have skipped more than a few appointments and you can’t face your old dentist – register somewhere new. And, for those who have dental angst – speak to them in advance so that they know you need extra support.

Dental appointments don’t just take care of dental health with things like fillings, removal, and gum care. You might want to make some adjustments like braces, a whitening, or porcelain crowns. If your last appointment was more than six months ago, then it is time to give them a call and get checked out.

Medication:

There are some medications that can cause you to have a dry mouth – and when you have a dry mouth, you are more likely to suffer from tooth decay. There are a couple of things you can do. You can speak to your doctor to see if there are any other medications that will treat you, but that won’t dry your mouth as a side effect. Or, you can speak to your dentist and see what measures you can take to help manage the risk of tooth decay.

Rest and Sleep:

You might think that almost all of the other body processes need rest and sleep – but not teeth. And in some respects, that is right. Lack of sleep impacts your immune system, and it is the immune system that helps to prevent gum disease. So while your teeth might not seem like they will suffer if you don’t sleep enough – the truth is that it is a risk to do anything that lowers your immune system. Gum disease can cause issues elsewhere in the body, and if it is left to progress, then tooth loss and pain are common issues.

Alcohol and Smoking:

Alcohol, depending on the type, can either be sugar-laden or dry in the mouth. If you aren’t drinking water in between drinks, then the dehydration in your mouth is the perfect place for bacteria to grow. Compounded by the fact that many people forget to brush their teeth after a night of drinking. Smoking is bad for your teeth and gums, as it restricts the blood flow to your gums causing all sorts of issues. Not to mention it stains the teeth. If you do either of these and don’t want to give them up, be extra vigilant with your oral care.

There are a couple of other things that can have an impact on your teeth, too: 3 Common Habits That Could Affect Your Oral Health | lifewithlilred. Once your not so great habits are under control, your oral health will improve drastically!

Featured Image By: Vinicius “amnx” Amano on Unsplash

Feb10

Work/Life Balance

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Work/Life Balance

Hello!! I don’t know about all of you, but I have been feeling So. Freaking. Exhausted. At the beginning of the new year, I formed a partnership with a local tech entrepreneur and have been putting in work. So much so, that I have been clocking in close to fifty hours every week between my jobs for the past month and change. It is tiring but the opportunities that have opened up for me are very exciting!

The work/life balance is something that everyone talks about. However, is it something that they are actively trying to pursue or does it just sound good? Lol, I definitely fall under the “think about it, but don’t do it” category and I know that this is something I need to change to avoid burnout. If you, too, struggle with making time for you amidst a busy schedule, you are not alone! In fact, you are in great company because I’m right there with you! Let’s explore some ideas we can all work on to achieve a better work/life balance:

Take Breaks:

During the work day, I try to allow myself a few five minute breaks throughout to get up, stretch, and hydrate. You can do whatever you see fit, though, to relax for a spell. Watch a funny YouTube video, read a few comic strips, grab a snack – whatever is clever. It is so easy to just keep on working even when our brain is literally telling us to take a pause for a couple of minutes. Remember, that the work you are completing when your mind is feeling mushy probably isn’t going to be something that you are fully satisfied with.

Make Meals:

I, personally, notice that I am not getting a proper work/life balance when I am not cooking meals for dinner. This was actually the first key indicator that I needed to slow down a bit when I saw that my fresh groceries were going to waste. Of course, no one is saying to cook a five star meal every night but I always feel better when I have something homemade for dinner. My goal is to at least make a few simple meals per week because I enjoy cooking as much as I do eating!

Make Plans (And Stick With Them!):

I’m going to be honest with all of you, the past several weeks of this workathon, I have had so many plans and I pretty much bailed on every single one. I was just too wiped out and canceling made me feel worse. This taught me that, for the time being, I need to make plans that I know I can stick with because anything more would be stretching myself too thin. However, we all need to give ourselves permission to have fun so don’t cut all evening activities out and fill your schedule with things you enjoy when you are able.

It’s Okay To Say No:

Always remember that it is okay to say no when you are feeling especially overrun. Knowing your limitations of what can and can’t be achieved in a certain time period will go a long way and can stop burnout in its tracks. I am such a people pleaser that I rarely say no to anything work related and I know that this is something that I really should improve on.

When a work/life balance seems impossible, carve out small periods for you throughout the day until you get back on track with a normal schedule. You will thank yourself during your next mini break!

What stresses you out about work? Do you achieve a good work/life balance? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Aug13

Ways To Help Out A Loved One In Need

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Ways To Help Out A Loved One In Need

Hello!! This past week has been an awful, stressful time for yours truly. And, let’s be honest, these past couple of years have been an awful, stressful time for everyone. COVID, losing your job, and inflation are enough to make anyone go crazy! In times like these, we all could use a helping hand and these are some of the things that I have been implementing in my own family over the past week and change:

Cook A Meal:

When a crisis arises, one of the last things that people think about is having a home cooked meal. There’s nothing wrong with takeout or fast food but nothing hits quite as much as a meal made with love! Someone struggling could really use a good meal so why not bring one over? You could provide all of the fixings for a spaghetti dinner, tacos, or any of their favorite dishes. A meal that has plenty of leftovers is also one that will be much appreciated.

Clean Up:

Another thing that falls by the wayside during difficult times is housework. We all know that a cluttered and unclean environment can make things even more stressful and it is so easy for all of the household chores to start piling up. You don’t have to give a Merry Maids level clean but doing the dishes, taking out the trash, or the dreaded cleaning of the bathrooms will give the person you’re helping one less thing to think about.

Pet Care:

Pets definitely know when something is up because it effects them too. Something as simple as taking the dog for a long walk, playing with the cats, or cleaning cages can be a huge help. You can also keep an eye on their supply of food and replenish it as needed so they will never go without.

Spend Some Time:

Someone going through a lot will surely benefit from just having you as company. You could lend your ear, be a shoulder to cry on, or simply be around and not talk at all. Things like watching a funny show, doing a puzzle, or playing a game can provide some much needed relief when their focus is shifted to something else for a bit.

From big gestures to small, all of it will be so very appreciated. Please keep my family in your thoughts. ❤

How do you provide a helping hand? What helps you to feel better? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Jun30

5 Tips To Reduce Stress In Your Pets

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5 Tips To Reduce Stress In Your Pets

Just like humans, it’s necessary to reduce stress in your pets. Animals can get overwhelmed by sounds and other events. With fireworks season fast approaching, you can try the following to help calm them down:

Provide Human and Animal Social Interaction:

Humans require social interaction to survive. However, many species of animals, including cats and dogs, need social interaction even though they might appear independent. For instance, your Persian cat doesn’t purr for nothing and the Aussie Cobberdog will play with you for hours on end and stay close to you all night. This is because your pet feels affection towards you and trusts you. They find solace in you, just as you find comfort in them. Conversations, walks outside, and introductions to other animals can all help to lessen animal stress.

Pet Your Animals as Much as You Can:

Petting an animal reduces stress for both of you. Both your body and your pet’s body release oxytocin when you stroke their fur or hair. The hormone oxytocin is also released when you fall in love with someone or something. Playing with a pet also raises serotonin and dopamine levels, which are both known to lower stress and anxiety. For animals with restricted senses, touch is also crucial. For example, they will use their keen sense of smell to determine that you are not a threat if you pet them gently. Most have this ability.

Stay Inside:

Animals and people share the same chemicals, but they are concentrated differently in animals. For instance, they experience the effects of cortisol and serotonin. These cause both humans and animals to experience the fight or flight response. However, external factors have the potential to seriously distress animals. Cats and dogs, for instance, are easily distracted by loud noises, bright lights, and potent odors. Although training can lessen the reactions, it is best to simply stay away from triggering areas.

Recognize that Your Pets Have Phobias:

Fears are common among animals, particularly cats and dogs. To help them adjust, you must allay their fears. When puppies leave the house, separation anxiety is a common occurrence. When they perceive a threat, animals also experience intense fear. And an animal that is scared may lash out and attack you. You can reassure a scared pet, but they might mistake it for affection and start misbehaving. However, just like humans, exposing animals to their fears helps them cope with the stress that comes with it.

Try Natural Drugs and Herbal Remedies:

Both cats and dogs experience pain and fall ill. Antibiotics and painkillers essentially have the same effect on animals as they do on people. You’ve probably administered pain medication to your dog or cat when they broke a leg or had a bad tooth. Of course, suffering from pain makes an animal distressed and it may start to get restless and distracted. Products made from cannabis can benefit animals. Treats containing CBD for dogs can aid in lowering sources of medical stress in your animals. They are also excellent for dogs with medical conditions like epilepsy, as well as for younger dogs with injuries and older dogs with joint problems.

Animals are sensitive creatures and you can reduce stress in your pets in specific ways. Utilize these tips to help your furry friends and yourself in some cases too!

Featured Image By: Pixabay

Feb24

The Busy Life Of A Modern Woman: Health Risks & Self Care Tips

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The Busy Life Of A Modern Woman: Health Risks & Self Care Tips

Right now, modern living essentially means busy living, particularly for women. Being busy may mean making money, thriving to get ahead of your career, fulfilling ambitions, keeping in touch with friends, raising a family, exercising, and so much more. Jam packed schedules force them to put their physical and mental health at the bottom of their priorities. In general, two things hinder women from maintaining a healthy lifestyle: not prioritizing themselves and the lack of time.

Many women lead high pressured lives as they struggle to balance their careers and personal lives. However, health is essential, not just for yourself but for the well being of your family and the people around you. Let’s delve into this a bit more:

The discrimination against women in the global society typically puts them at a higher health risk than men. Unfortunately, access to health services and health care are intertwined with socioeconomic and sociocultural factors. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the health risks for modern women occur due to the following:

  • Sexual, physical, and emotional abuse
  • The lack of access to education and equal employment opportunities
  • Society’s exclusive perception that women are meant to reproduce
  • Inequality in relationships between men and women
  • Poverty, involving malnutrition and an unhealthy environment

The Jean Hailes’ Women’s Health Survey has also emphasized the relationship between women and health, stating that at least one in six women experienced discrimination in having access to healthcare.

Health Risks for Modern Women:

Health problems may affect women in various ways. Some may experience physical health issues, while some women may suffer mental health problems or a combination of the two. These problems go undiagnosed most of the time, causing them to worsen. Health risks in busy and modern women often include depression, anxiety, breast cancer, heart disease, and autoimmune diseases.

Leading a Healthy Life:

A healthy lifestyle can help prevent health risks, improve quality of life, and prolong life expectancy. Keep the following reminders in mind to keep yourself healthy and happy:

Practice Self Care:

Self care comes in different forms. But as long as it involves maintaining your health and attaining a great sense of happiness and fulfillment, you are doing it right. It could be as simple as exercising regularly, having a nice warm bath at night using your vitamin C whitening and moisturizing soap, or watching a movie to relieve stress. Self care may also involve pampering yourself at the salon, visiting your doctor for a routine checkup, or enjoying healthy snacks. It’s all about having routines that promote a better quality of life.

Manage Stress With Healthy Habits:

Stress is the common root cause of many health problems and, unfortunately, many people tend to rely on unhealthy habits to reduce stress but doing so only makes things worse. For example – smoking cigarettes, consuming excessive amounts of alcohol, or engaging in dangerous activities, which only puts them more at risk of health problems.

Learn how to manage stress with healthy habits. You can go hiking with your friends, finish a book while drinking tea, get a massage, or do meditation. There are various ways to manage stress without compromising your health and safety so always choose what’s best for you.

Think of Your Future:

You may be young and full of energy, but that will not stay that way forever. Think of the future you will have if you keep neglecting your health. What do you think your future will be like if you keep practicing unhealthy habits? You need to invest in your health while you’re still young and reap the benefits once you reach old age. If you want to live a long and happy life, you need to start making changes in your lifestyle as early as now.

Women need to focus more on their health because they have so much on their plates. The good news is that womanhood involves a supportive community that encourages them to uplift each other. Talk to your family and friends about the importance of health, share tips, and build goals so all of you can lead a healthier lifestyle together.

Dec15

Stress Relievers To Help You Unwind

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Stress Relievers To Help You Unwind

Stress is a part of life and even though you cannot always control your circumstances, you can easily control how you respond to a situation. If you want to find out more, then simply take a look below:

Meditate:

Meditation will offer you a lot of short-term stress relief. You may even find that it helps you to develop your own mantra as well. you can repeat this in your mind as you take slow and deep breaths. You might also want to take a few minutes to practice mindfulness too. This will help you to be in the present moment. All you have to do is pay attention to what you see, hear, smell, touch, and taste. If you can make yourself focused on what is happening right now, then you won’t be as likely to focus on things that have already happened.

Muscle Relaxation:

Progressive muscle relaxation often involves trying to relax all of the muscles in your body. You need to do this group by group and take some deep breaths too. It is a good idea to start with your head and work your way down to your toes. If you can practice, then you will be able to learn how to recognize tightness in your muscles and you can also help yourself to relax more easily.

Take a Walk:

Exercise is a great stress reliever and it can work in a matter of minutes. Taking a walk gives you the chance to change your scenery and it also helps to put you in a better frame of mind. This will give you all of the benefits that you get with exercise too!

Give Someone a Hug:

Physical touch can help you to relieve your stress more than you realize. When you hug someone, you will release oxytocin, and this is known as the “cuddle hormone”. This is associated with happiness, and it can also go a long way when it comes to relieving stress too. Another great thing about this hormone is that it helps to reduce your blood pressure. It’s a win/win. 😀

Aromatherapy:

Aromatherapy offers a lot of major benefits when it comes to stress relief. It helps you to feel more relaxed and it also helps you to feel like you are in the current moment more as well. Research is showing time and time again that scents can alter your brain wave activity and they can also boost the amount of feel-good hormones in the body. Light your favorite scented candle to see what we mean!

Create some Art:

Coloring is a fantastic stress reliever and research has shown consistently that it can offer you a meditative effect. Those who color using complex patterns often report way less stress during the day. Not to mention how much fun it is!

Balanced Diet:

A bad diet can make you far more reactive to stress. Emotional eating with high fat and high sugar food can give you a sense of relief but it can lead to you experiencing even more stress in the future. Refined carbohydrates such as cookies or potato chips can cause your blood sugar to spike. When this happens, you will then experience a sugar crash, and this can make you way more likely to experience stress and anxiety.

Make Time for Leisure:

It doesn’t matter whether you enjoy making your own quilts or whether you love to play basketball because this is the key to helping you unwind. If you love watching sports, why not try and play one? You can also lookup the best NBA odds if you live for live games.

Positive Self-Talk:

The way that you talk to yourself does matter. That little voice at the back of your head has a far bigger impact than you realize, and you may even find that it causes you more stress. Talk to yourself in a realistic way and focus on being compassionate too. Positive self-talk will help you to develop a much healthier outlook on your life and to manage your emotions better.

The past year and change has been grueling, to say the least. Use the tips above for a mentally stronger and healthier you in the new year!

Featured Image By: Pexels

 

Dec14

Changing Your Mindset To Improve Your Personal Wellness

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Changing Your Mindset To Improve Your Personal Wellness

Life inevitably ends up containing more than its fair share of stressful and frustrating events, with some of these being serious enough to require a significant degree of attention and effort in order to deal with. Today, fortunately, a variety of useful services such as medical malpractice attorneys can be easily located and contacted in order to help you deal with some of the more painful and time consuming sorts of issues that you might be facing.

Beyond the specifics of particular situations or challenges, however, a major part of maintaining a good degree of personal wellness over the course of day-to-day life is simply having the right mindset. Here are a few tips for changing your mindset to improve your personal wellness:

Focus on balance and holistic living:

One area where many people get into serious trouble when it comes to safeguarding their personal wellness is by allowing themselves to live imbalanced lives. Everyone is familiar with the most iconic examples of high flying professionals neglecting family and friends in order to excel in their careers – but it’s also possible to be too focused on optimizing productivity or performance in other areas of life.

If any one dimension of your life is causing you to miss out on sleep, pass up on good nutrition and self care, or miss out on time spent with your loved ones, these are signs of serious imbalance that need to be addressed.

Emphasize regular and meaningful connection with others:

As human beings, we all naturally crave connection in life – and individuals who don’t have loved ones, friends, and acquaintances around them are likely to experience a diminished sense of overall wellness across multiple dimensions of their lives.

By finding ways to emphasize these regular and meaningful connections with others in your life, you can massively change the circumstances you find yourself in, and can ensure that you’re much likelier to thrive. Connection with other people is so important, that many professional researchers have commented that a lack of close interpersonal connections leads to illness, among other things.

Look for opportunities to direct your energy in an intentional manner:

For too many people out there, day-to-day life largely involves stumbling from one activity or pastime to another. The end result being that not very much gets achieved, and procrastination and second-guessing play a major role.

Looking for opportunities to direct your energy in an intentional manner, however, can help you to feel more driven and motivated to get more done, achieve your potential, and have a clear sense of what you are getting out of bed each morning for. Whether by taking up a personal hobby or even to “time block” and schedule your days, finding opportunities to direct your energy in an intentional manner can make a major difference.

All too often people experience burn out from their demanding careers and every day stressors. Focusing on your wellness first and foremost can make these necessary tasks less daunting and sometimes, dare I say, enjoyable!

Featured Image By: Pixabay

Nov9

Making Time For Me Time

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Making Time For Me Time

Hello! I am self employed and have been running two businesses for over half a decade now. Of course, I love my jobs so much but anyone who is their own boss can tell you that it can be highly stressful – especially because if you don’t work, you don’t get paid. Two businesses means a demanding schedule with weeks feeling too long and the weekends, sadly, not being long enough!

I never really realize how much I push myself for my jobs until something as small as the common cold knocks me completely on my ass. On Halloween day, I woke up with an unbearable cold and it was a struggle to get out of bed. Thankfully, a scary movie day was on the agenda so not much movement was required but I had to call off of work on Monday, which is something that I rarely do.

For most people, a cold is something that they can usually still function through but for me, it was the polar opposite. This was pretty alarming to me and I knew that it was related to just how hard that I have been working for what feels like forever. Whenever I fall sick, I always tell myself that I am going to be more lenient with giving myself a day off if I need it. While it never happens, I actually mean it this time lol.

I will be taking time off for Thanksgiving and Christmas and in the new year, I am making it a resolution to give myself permission to give myself a break. This completely goes against my work ethic but I have now realized how important it is to give myself a mental and physical break from my work. I wish that meant lavish vacations to Paris but, in reality, it will be taking an afternoon off to get my nails done or spending a day playing Animal Crossing when I feel myself getting run down.

This, of course, won’t be a monthly thing but pushing through exhaustion isn’t healthy and I know that the next time I fall ill for days on end, I will be wishing that I gave myself a break. Chill evenings with TV and a face mask is great but it just isn’t enough after an uber busy work week and jam packed weekend.

My normal self care involves pampering of some kind but I have come to realize that it is so much more than that. I now know that a more effective form of self care for me would be being less hard on myself and allowing for a day of rest as needed. It will be difficult because it goes against everything that my brain is wired to think. However, I can’t have another half decade of success in my businesses without it!

What is your method of self care? How do you make time for you with a demanding schedule? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Oct23

Shake The Holiday Time Stress – Plan Ahead!

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Shake The Holiday Time Stress – Plan Ahead!

Hi! While the holiday season can be the most wonderful time of the year, it can also be the most stressful. All you have to do is visit a store in October to know that the countdown to the holidays are fast approaching because Christmas decorations have taken over. Some people may thrive on leaving holiday preparations to the last minute and that is okay! But it is so not me and if that doesn’t work for you, either, try the tips below to sail smoothly into the holiday season:

Start Shopping Now:

One of the best ways to shake the holiday stress is, of course, starting your shopping early. In fact, I know some people who start shopping for the next Christmas with the end of season sales in January! You don’t need to be this extreme but shopping a few months in advance is a must. This will eliminate any anxiety about if your packages will arrive before your celebrated holiday. It also provides for extra time to return damaged or not as good as you thought presents.

Shopping in advance doesn’t just ensure that all of your prezzies will get to their designated giftee in a timely manner – it is better on your wallet too. Breaking up your buying between several months will also get rid of the stress of a huge credit card bill come January first!

Sort Out The Spread:

Maybe your holiday stress stems from having to prepare a big meal for the family and your guests. Although you can’t buy your food way in advance, there are some things that you can do now. How about sending invites to your holiday dinner that people have to RSVP to? Don’t forget to ask about any allergies! This way, you will know who all will be in attendance so you don’t end up cooking way too much or too little.

Once you have a firm idea of who is joining your holiday dinner and their food preferences, you can plan out your spread accordingly. It might not hurt to have some back up recipes in place just in case you can’t get your hands on a ham or turkey at the grocery store.

Know When To Excuse Yourself:

If you have a strained relationship with a family member or guest at your Christmas gathering, this can be a HUGE stressor. Develop a plan now for what you can do to protect your mental health if this is the case for you and practice it. This could be sticking with the cool cousins for the gathering, arriving after a triggering person has left, or simply knowing when to step away to compose yourself. You have every right to an enjoyable time and having a plan thought out prior to the big day will add a sense of security since you won’t have to wing responses or reactions on the spot.

The holiday season is a joyous time but can it be stressful? Big time. Plan ahead now to eliminate the mad dash feel. Then, when everything is in place: Sit back and relax – you have earned it! ❤

What are your holiday season stressors? How do you prepare for a family gathering? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah