Reduce Holiday STRESS!

The holidays can be one of the most stressful times of the year or the most joyous. We have the choice as to what the season has in store for each of us!

Stress is more than just a state of mind. We as humans tend to create more unnecessary stressors on ourselves than any other species. Stress has real physical components, including brain overwhelm, tight muscles, headaches, difficulty falling asleep and restless sleep, abdominal pain, allergies and asthma, inflammation, and high blood pressure.

Some results of stress may have long-term consequences. Prolonged high blood pressure, for example, may lead to heart disease, heart attack, and stroke. Long-term inflammation may lead to weight gain, diabetes, and even kidney disease.

Of course, we could have stress because we create our own stress. We're stressed about all of the extra holiday activities, finances, time constraints, traffic etc. Now we begin worrying about all the things that could go wrong because we are under stress. Not a good plan.

A better brain plan would involve being proactive and beginning to take action steps that support our health and well-being. The action steps include the usual suspects that go by the wayside this time of year - exercise and good nutrition. Everyone knows they "should" be doing regular exercise and "should" be eating good food every day instead of all the holiday goodies. The difficulty is we rationalize that it's the holidays and we will get back on track after the New Year.

The way to reducing one's stress levels is in choosing to take proactive action ahead of time. We choose healthy behaviors because we want to, not because we think we "should". The concept of personal choice is powerful and may lead to shifts toward behaviors that are healthy.

Choosing good health habits year round improves our lives in countless ways. By choosing, we take back the power of good health. Everyone in our lives benefits by our renewed energy, creativity, productivity, and love for life.

As your health and wellness expert your well-being is most important to maintain.

As the New Year approaches and you find yourself off track, we would be glad to help.

Make sure to take advantage of our Better Brain Academy free video series in January 2015. I will be sharing cutting edge mind body strategies in a simple language to guide you through a stress less way to recreate everyday living.

References:

Appel LJ, et al: Effects of comprehensive lifestyle modification on blood pressure control: main results of the PREMIER clinical trial. JAMA 289(16):2083-2093, 2003

Elmer PJ, et al: Effects of comprehensive lifestyle modification on diet, weight, physical fitness, and blood pressure control: 18-month results of a randomized trial. Ann Intern Med 144(7):485-495, 2006

Viera AJ, et al: Lifestyle modifications to lower or control high blood pressure: is advice associated with action? The behavioral risk factor surveillance survey. J Clin Hypertens 10(2):105-111, 2008