The holidays are supposed to be a time for you to enjoy with your family while enjoying good eats, smiles, songs, and presents. It’s a magnificent time to truly tell each other how much you mean to one another, especially if everyone is all around the table and not worried about work and other responsibilities. However, the time preparing for the big event is less than joyous sometimes and can be downright stressful, between the shopping, overcrowding, traffic, expense, and preparation. But you can take steps to destress over this holiday season to try to keep your mental health in check. 

Take it Slow 

Even when it’s a holiday, it just feels like there’s never quite enough time to complete everything you want. This feeling only heightens with the added tasks of holiday preparation. As a result, you may feel like you need to quickly accomplish each task to make sure you finish everything. However, it doesn’t have to be that way. Take one task at a time and prioritize them based on when you need to finish them as well as which ones are the most important. Do your best. 

Make sure you take breaks as necessary. Going non-stop can put a great deal of stress on your body, which can lead to aches and pains. These can even hinder you from being able to get everything done. 

Ask for Help 

Balancing everything on a regular day can be stressful, and it definitely gets more difficult with the holidays. Rather than being a superhero and trying to accomplish it all on your own, admit when you need help. Ask people to complete tasks that can free up some of your time so you still have a few moments to breathe from now until the holidays. Keep in mind that it can be the tasks that don’t require your expertise, such as wrapping presents or running to the grocery store. It doesn’t have to be cooking and baking, though asking someone to help can make the process more fun for you and speed it up. 

Don’t Forget Me Time 

People need a little time by themselves to decompress. It should be a time when they’re doing something they enjoy and escaping the hecticness of life. It could be reading, art, knitting, or simply savoring a morning cup o’ joe without everyone demanding things out of you. 

This season, make it a point to get some me time. While it’s ideal to have it every day, if you can only get it a few times a week, that’s fine. It’ll still help your mental health. 

Get Enough Exercise 

While walking around cleaning the house and climbing the mall steps are beneficial and count toward exercise, they’re not enough to get in your recommended 150 minutes per week. Therefore, make sure you’re still making time for exercise this holiday season. Not only can it help you ward off weight gain from all those holiday goodies, but it can also increase endorphins, which are “feel-good” hormones that can combat anxiety. 

Get Chiropractic Care 

Whether you’re a patient of ours already or not, schedule a chiropractic appointment this season. You can get relief from back pain and other aches and discomfort that could hinder you from completing everything you need. It also could interfere with you enjoying this season. Plus, chiropractic care may be able to ease some of your stress. 

At Premier Chiropractic Center, serving Bessemer, AL, and the surrounding region, we see what a toll stress can take on your body. And the opposite is true as well — the pain you feel can lead to stress. While self-care and taking it easy can help, chiropractic care might be the boost you need to get through this holiday season. 

Schedule an appointment by calling 205-519-4024 or using our online form.