Girls, we know that holiday feelings are sometimes overwhelming! If you feel anxious, guess what? It’s season; it’s a bit normal at this time of year. With the visit of relatives, the lights, the endless shopping and the preparation of these lavish festive meals, we tend to move forward and never stop to enjoy the joy of the season. It is very important to take care of your mental well-being during the holidays and make sure that your mental health is not lost in all the turmoil. So if you feel anxious, don’t panic. We have collected some useful tips on anxiety to help you cope with the extra seasonal stress and spend the holiday in a happy, mentally healthy place. You got that, Queen.
TAKE A SHORT WALK
What could be better to remove cobwebs than a little fresh air and exercise? A short walk around the hood can work wonders to bring a little mental pep into our walk! A study has actually shown that when you walk with your head and shoulders high, you are more likely to feel a good mood. Obvs exercise is generally an awesome way to keep that warm body in shape, but it is also very important for your mental shape. So, next time your brain will feel like eggnog, and everyone. Final. Thing. it annoys you, take your coat and take the paths — or the sidewalk, or basically anywhere you can walk up without hitting a branch.
BINGE WATCH (A LITTLE BIT)
If you are feeling anxious, there is nothing better than escaping in your new favorite show. (And who doesn’t like some Johnny and Moira?! It’s so much fun to get rid of our daily stressors and forget about everything we need to do in time for the holiday. However, do not get lost for too long. A number of studies have linked excessive monitoring of 3.5 hours per day with cognitive decline and slowing of BMR and metabolism. Egads! So set your alarm to remind you to take a break. You might even do a quick sweat session before diving again!
THINK AND WRITE IT DOWN
Among all our anxiety tips, we love this one so much! Writing down your thoughts and feelings will make it easier for you to breathe and focus on what is important to you. Self-reflection is the key to understanding what moves us and figuring out how to love yourself! When we organize our thoughts and feelings, we learn what is most important to us and how to live our most meaningful life. Mental health experts advise not only to write down things that you want to change, but also to follow your gratitude. Our LSF Self Love exercise booklet is a great daily guide to self-reflection, journaling, printable, healing tools and our step-by-step guide to falling in love with you! You will learn so much about the possibilities of practicing mindfulness and self-care and discovering a new strength in the action against get-down and anxiety. We promise you that you will never be the same again-in the right way!
EAT CHOCOLATE (BLACK)!
You heard us, the chocolate addicts. The next time you feel anxious, consider these anxiety tips and stock up on chocolate in the pantry. But it has to be dark chocolate to pick up the impressive mood-enhancing benefits. Your anxiety may mean that your body is low in serotonin, a neurotransmitter that affects your mood. Dark chocolate contains tryptophan (yes, just like the turkey you ate on Thanksgiving), which allows your body to produce serotonin. There are so many high quality and super affordable organic dark chocolate on the market (TJs is still good for that! But you can also make your own healthy dark chocolate snacks, like these Keto Almond Joy fat bombs we’ve featured here (chocolate goodness that’s so easy to make). You will be in a better mood, because, duh, you will eat delicious chocolate, and these body chemicals will take care of the rest.
SLEEP A LITTLE!
Insomnia is zero and it prevents us from working on all cylinders. Getting enough sleep is also important for our mental well-being! Sometimes sleep is elusive and it is difficult to get Mr. Sandman to bring you a dream, especially with everything that happens during the holidays. We know what it’s like: You end up exhausted in bed just to play mental ping-pong with yourself, which you all get on your gift list (check out these great ideas in our SPF Holiday Gift Guide for help!). And it can become a vicious circle not to sleep because you are anxious – your lack of sleep causes even more anxiety. Ugh. Well, don’t give up on your dreams just yet. Fortunately, there are a few quick adjustments you can make to your sleep environment and a few pre-sleep activities you can do to help you fall into the land of dreams a little easier.
Experts say that the ideal temperature for sleeping is from 60 to 67 degrees. So set your thermostat and you can cuddle a little easier. Also make sure you have a good mattress. Not like “the princess and the pea” or anything, but if you have a lumpy mattress and scratched bedding, it’s no wonder you can’t close your eyes! And then, to create the most dreamy sleeping space, use essential oils, especially lavender, either as a lotion or with a diffuser. (See more good info about essential oils in this SPF blog! Finally, if you want to relax, dim the lights, make a few stretches of light and turn on your most soothing soundtrack. If you try some of these techniques, we think you are in a better mindset to focus when the light is off. Beautiful dreams.