With Thanksgiving behind us and the new year just around the corner, we are officially in the holiday season! And while the holidays are about gifts and cheer it can also bring about anxiety.

I personally have flashbacks to the days when I was navigating the kids’ 3 week vacation with a full time job! If you feel stress during the holidays you are not alone! So on this week’s newsletter, I want to offer you some HealthBites on managing anxiety during the holiday season!

Let go of perfection:

• Recognize that striving for a “perfect” holiday creates unnecessary pressure for yourself and for others.

• Remember the best memories aren’t perfect; they are real and when you allow yourself to be imperfect, you give permission for others to do and be the same.

• Remind yourself of what really matters: meaningful connections, moments of joy, and rest.

Be Ok with No:

• Be ok with saying no. You don’t have to do everything, you don’t have to be everything. You can say no with love and with grace

• Write down your priorities to avoid overcommitting to what is not essential, necessary or needed

• Finally, don’t be afraid to ask for help. Use your resources whether it is help with the kids, help with the cooking or hiring help if you can. Do what you need to relieve yourself of some of your to do’s.

Boundaries are Ok:

• Give yourself a timeout if you need to take a breather away from the activity and the noise.

• If your family time means conversations that you don’t wish to be engaged in, give yourself permission to remove yourself from the conversation

• Be mindful of how you spend your time. Make sure you are giving yourself time to recharge by actively planning downtime between commitments.

Manage your consumption:

And I don’t just mean food! Managing excessive bingeing on food and alcohol is an important part of maintaining good mental health but it is equally important to manage your consumption of unhealthy people, the news and your social media feed.

• Incorporate healthy meals in between the big family food fests

• Consider some alternate beverages to alcohol

• Limit screen time

• At the same time, make sure to “consume” some of the good nutrients like rest and movement

Get Grounded:

• Use a simple breathing exercise like the box breathing or the 4-7-8 technique (I go into this in more detail on this week’s episode)

• Engage in a body scan meditation to release physical tension.

• Take some time to journal your worries and your gratitude. This is a great way to manage your anxiety and refocus on the good.

Remember that even excitement can come with some anxiety, but there are strategies that help! Listen to the full podcast episode for more tips, tricks and my personal stories 

Finally, if you are ready to learn the strategies that will help you improve your emotional regulation, effectively manage your stress and alleviate anxiety, here is your chance! I will be taking just 10 of you into a personalized 6 week journey to teach you science based skills to help you tap into your inherent wisdom and out of reactivity. You can get all the details and sign up here. Spots are limited so save your spot today!!

Wishing you a peaceful week, mind, body and soul.