Holiday Stress Relief Tips for Healthy Holidays

Are you having trouble coping with holiday stress? Are healthy holidays even possible?

Holidays can be the best of times or the worst of times. But many people have holiday stress and depression with no stress relief.

If you're suffering from holiday stress or holiday depression and wondering what ever happened to seasonal joy and peace,  found you're not alone. A study from American Psychological Association.

During the holidays people feel burdened with holiday stress from:

• Credit card debt (23%)
• Never enough time (34%)
• Pressures of gift giving (42%)
• Or lack of enough money (61%)

And most everyone turns to over-eating unhealthy foods or drinking alcohol. Not only do we tend to eat and drink more, we have more heart attacks, exercise less and gain an average of 10 pounds.

Ten Top Tips for Healthy Holiday Stress Relief

While "over the river and through the woods to Grandmother’s house" may sound fun, excessive holiday stress and post holiday depression can seriously undermine your health, happiness and finances.

So try these holiday stress tips to help you have a healthy holiday.

1. Take charge of your holiday. Hospital emergency room and police reports show more sickness, addiction, criminal activity and mental suffering during holidays. So make a list and simplify.

2. Always put yourself first. It's not selfish. Taking care of yourself is an essential part of taking care of others. Rethink the holidays with your well-being in mind. Plan ahead and do what works best for you. 


3. Eat healthy holiday food. The holidays don't have to be fat and sugar free-for-all. Overindulgence causes stress, causing more overindulgence. Healthy holiday eating is choosing an apple over apple pie. 


4. Exercise for stress relief. Walking is an excellent exercise to relieve anxiety and stress. If weather isn't conducive to a walk, go to the mall and weave your way around all the busy harried shoppers. 


5. Take time to rest and relax. Get a good nights sleep, go for a leisurely walk, practice deep breathing and listen to soothing music. Slowing down can actually give you more healthy holiday energy. 


6. Rein in excess shopping. Don't go crazy indulging everyone’s whims. Shop on the Internet and limit your gift-giving to a special few. Happy holiday memories are built on time spent with loved ones. 


7. Say "No thank you" often. Be kind but firm and people will learn to accept turned-down obligation invitations. And if they don't, that's their problem. Only say "yes" to what you really want to do.


8. Keep an attitude of gratitude. Staying positive is important to stress management. Make a daily list of what you’re grateful for.

9. Create your healthy holiday. You don't have to be a slave to holiday traditions. Keep those that work for you and discard the rest. You can always share yourself through e-mails and pictures.

10. Give the gift of joy and love. Holiday stress often puts people in a rotten mood. If you're happy and vibrating with joyful holiday spirit, you'll help others to have a happy healthy holiday spirit too.

Whether your holidays are the best or worst of times is up to you. Follow these ten healthy holiday stress tips for depression and holiday stress relief and have happy healthy holiday seasons for years to come.

Have a Healthy and Successful Stress Free Holiday!