How to Stress Less During the Holidays Part 2

Do you get more stressed during the holidays? If so, you’re not alone. Many people do. There are many reasons why. We discussed unrealistic expectations and time management and ways to help in part 1. If you didn’t read that yet, click here.

How does stress show up in our body and mind? Here are warning signs you might be experiencing.

• Cravings, weight gain
• Appetite changes – none, very little, or compulsive overeating
• Nausea
• Fatigue
• Headaches, muscle pains or tension in head, neck, jaw, back
• Persistent gastrointestinal issues – indigestion, diarrhea, constipation, bloating, cramping
• Sweating, panic attacks, dizziness
• Heart issues – chest pain, heart palpitations, high blood pressure
• Insomnia – sleeping problems
• More frequent mild illnesses such as colds
• Mood changes / mental health issues – irritability, anger, apathy, depression, crying, sadness, fear, anxiety, little joy or laughing
• Increased use of alcohol and drugs
• Poor concentration – inability to make decisions
• Withdrawing socially
• Premature aging

And if you already have any health conditions, autoimmune issues, digestive conditions, or hormonal issues, your symptoms may seem to worsen or new ones seem to pop up. It’s the way our body handles stress. These warning signs are symptoms – your body is telling you to do something to help.

Three Reasons Holidays Seem to Cause More Stress

1. Emotional, psychological reasons – such as grief and loss – maybe you’ve recently lost a loved one. Or maybe it’s been a few years. It doesn’t matter. Holidays can bring back all those memories and stir up our emotions which affects our stress levels.
2. Family or friends – this can be emotional or mental or environmental. Maybe you’ve had prior issues with your Aunt Sue and are dreading her coming over. Or maybe you simply feel pressure because you have so much to do to get ready for everyone coming. You enjoy having family and friends over, but it still creates stress.
3. Physiological – Did you know that your nervous system is activated depending on stress in your body and mind? Your autonomic nervous system has 3 branches, but let’s talk briefly about two – the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems.

God designed both systems to help you. But often the one that takes over is the sympathetic nervous system which is triggered by a stressful event. It is known as the “fight or flight” response because it is responsible for how your body reacts to dangerous or stressful situations. It’s similar to the gas medal in your car. Your heart rate increases, your breathing rate increases, digestion slows, blood pressure increases, and blood is sent to your large muscles like your legs and arms so you can get out of harm’s way.

The parasympathetic nervous system is the relaxation and calm state also known as “rest and digest.” It’s similar to the brake in your car. You heart rate and breathing rate both decrease, blood pressure decreases, you feel peaceful and calmer, and digestion occurs best when in this state.

Both systems are needed and involuntary. They have different purposes. But when we are experiencing stress, it makes sense that the sympathetic nervous system kicks in, right?

It is influenced by your cortisol level and adrenalin level which increase when you are stressed. And then cortisol also triggers the release of more glucose (or sugar) from the liver for fast energy during stress – because you don’t have time to eat – or that’s what your body thinks. Your mind and body thinks you’re running from a bear or a burglar. It’s simply reacting and helping you deal with stress the way God wired it to.

But I’m sure you can see the problem. If we are in high alert or high stress most of the time, whether during the holidays or even just “normal” life, our cortisol levels are high most of the time. This causes sleep disturbances, you can’t settle down, your heart rate remains higher than normal, and your blood sugar levels in your body will remain high. And extra unused blood sugar is stored as fat. So you’ll have trouble losing weight even if you’re trying to eat healthy if you don’t do something about the stress.

What are Four Strategies to Help?

• Ask for help for practical needs such as the meal prep or getting the house ready for your guests. Get family members to pitch in, get your children or grandchildren to help – no matter their age they can do something. Ask your spouse. Hire a teen or pre-teen. This can help a lot. Or if none of that is an option, then begin now. You have about 1 ½ weeks until Thanksgiving and about 5 weeks until Christmas. So make out your list and do a small amount each day. Order non-perishable groceries and supplies from a pick-up service (like Walmart or a local store) or go buy non-perishables. Order frozen pre-chopped veggies for your stuffing or other dishes. You can stash them in the freezer. Or early next week get pre-chopped fresh veggies and go to the store early, like 7 or 8 am. Or order your whole meal prepped. It’s ok to not be traditional and cook for hours every year. Or do something different this year. The year my mom passed away, an aunt invited us all over there. It was a nice diversion and new atmosphere. Or is it possible to go to a new location out of town? The year my father passed away my sisters and our families picked an out of town spot to travel to. I just didn’t think I could host it. Remember, people will step up to help, but they won’t know you need it if you don’t ask.

• Seek help for your emotional needs from a professional counselor, pastor, therapist, or psychologist. Or find a support group. Or reach out to a family member or friend who will be supportive. We all need to know we aren’t alone and others care. And there are many who feel same way as you – or did and have made it through the holidays. If you’re local, my church is actually having a Supporting through the Holidays event this upcoming weekend – only two hours on Saturday, Nov 18 from 10 am – noon. So if interested, privately message me and I’ll send you the info.

• Quiet time and deep breathing. Here are a couple of de-stressing strategies that I use and many of my clients do as well. Try deep breathing doing the 5-5-5 technique. Inhale slowly for a count of 5, hold for a count of 5, and exhale for a count of 5. Do it 5 times. I do this several times a day. Making time for a quiet time is one of the best things I’ve done for my stress. It’s my favorite time of the day. Reminds me to take time to be grateful, read the Bible and a devotional, and journal. It doesn’t have to be long – even five minutes. You can do it in the morning, mid-day, or at night. Just set a reminder on your phone to go off each day to remind you.

• Food and supplements – One key thing you can do is to check what you are eating. Yes, I know I talk about eating an antioxidant healthy diet most of the time, with less processed foods and sugar. Well, you need to do that, especially right now. Research shows food affects our mood and that means stress, too! Plus, some people have nutritional deficiencies which contributes to stress. And one mineral many people are low in is magnesium. Did you know magnesium has a calming effect on our body and mind? It has 300 chemical functions, and helping us relax is one of them. Your body does not make magnesium on its own so needs you to eat and/or supplement.

Did you know if you happen to have migraines, diabetes type 2, nighttime leg cramps, heart palpitations, Celiac Disease, or digestive issues like diarrhea, IBS, or Crohn’s Disease, you may be low in magnesium? And if you’re a female, you may be low in it – no matter your age. Some medications also affect your magnesium level including PPIs (protein pump inhibitors) and diuretics.

You can ask your health practitioner to check your blood levels.

Plus, here are some delicious magnesium-rich foods:

Avocados

Pumpkin seeds

Nuts such as almonds, cashews, and Brazil nuts

Brown rice

Quinoa

Spinach

Bananas

Salmon and other fatty fish

Dark chocolate (72 – 85% cacao and higher)

Use cacao powder in recipes

Magnesium Supplement – You can also take a magnesium supplement. Talk to your doctor, but some good forms may include magnesium glycinate, citrate, malate, or threonate (the last one is more expensive while also helping with cognition). There are magnesium sprays and lotions you can also use. Or some people find Epsom salt baths relaxing because the salts have magnesium.

One more thing is you can click here for my FREE 30 Days to Stress Less Checklist. You can pick one idea a day to do or simply pick one and do that same one for 30 days.

Hope that was helpful to let you know you don’t have to remain stressed out right now. There are some practical things you can do to help yourself. Simply pick one to do this week.

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I’ve been where you are – stressed, exhausted, foggy brain, anxious, trouble keeping weight off, and having digestive issues. It didn’t seem to matter what I ate – I gained weight and felt frustrated. As a National Board Certified Health and Wellness Coach now, I have clients who feel the same. But I’ve got good news. You can learn simple small steps to help you decrease your stress, foggy brain, overwhelm, and pain plus increase energy and develop life-long habits so you’ll enjoy life again. Contact me here for a FREE 20 minute consult to see how I can help you. You are not alone. — Leah Cheshire, NBC-HWC