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5 Tips for A Stress-Free Holiday Season

http://blog.drdavidwilliams.com/blog/digestive-health-guidance/5-tips-for-a-stress-free-holiday

Before we know it, Thanksgiving will be here. Right behind that is the whirl of holiday festivities, including shopping, cooking, travel, and more. While much of the season’s frenzy is joyful, it’s also stressful—and that stress can have a negative impact on your body, particularly your immune system and your metabolism.

So, here are some ways to keep the season from stressing you:

1. Take time to connect with nature. Notice the beauty of the leaves on the trees and the glow of the stars in the sky. Connecting with nature is a very effective way of relieving stress.

2. Exercise. Physical activity works stress out of your muscles, boosts your metabolism, and stimulates the release of feel-good endorphins. Even if it’s just a fast walk from the far end of the parking lot at the mall, build in some extra activity.

3. Shed the guilt. We feel guilty about cheating a little on a diet, or forgetting that Aunt Julie is lactose-intolerant, or not being able to attend yet another holiday get-together. Remember that you can’t do everything, and nobody expects you to.

4. Give thanks for all the wonderful things in your life. No matter what your circumstances, there is good around you. It may not always be obvious, but it’s there. You can start with the fact that you’re alive and able to appreciate what you have.

5. Don’t sweat the small stuff. So the turkey is slightly overdone, or your husband got you the sweater you wanted for Christmas but in the wrong color. There will be more opportunities to aim for poultry perfection and merchandise can be exchanged, returned, or donated. Not letting these types of minor irritations get under your skin can go a long way to keeping you stress-free this holiday season.

Now it’s your turn: How do you manage holiday stress?

You may also be interested in:

4 Secrets for Better Mornings and Less Stressful Days

Digestive Health and Holiday Eating