Holiday Stress

The holidays are a magical season, where friends and families come together to celebrate, spend time together, and create memories. It is a season that is supposed to represent all of the qualities and values that we treasure, and have grown up with. And as children, this season is even more magical; however, as we have grown up - and seen the other side of it - it can become stressful. It becomes a time of immense stress: financially, emotionally, mentally, and physically. Especially if you don’t fill your proverbial cup as you go. There is a lot of people who experience burn out during the holidays, and it’s no surprise, when it’s such a busy time of year, with demand after demand. So how do you keep going during the holidays, and not burn out, or feel as stressed out? Let’s talk about some things you can do.

Know your Limits

There are times when your mind and body are going to tell you to stop adding onto your plate, and taking up more demands. These are the times that it is important to listen to your body. It is sending you these messages for a reason, and it is warning you that you are reaching your limit and need to recuperate; otherwise, you’ll burn out. Honouring yourself and your limits is the best way to support your mind and body, prevent burn out, and decrease any unnecessary stress. Once you learn your limits, and boundaries, you can take this with you throughout your life, because healthy boundaries are something everyone needs to learn and practice for your own health and wellbeing.

Ask for Support

If you do find that you have piled your plate full of responsibilities and duties, and are struggling to get everything done by the time they need to be, or you feel like you are at your limit, the best thing you can do for yourself is to ask for support. Ask your friends, family, and/or partner if they can support you in finishing a task. Dividing the work with people can be a great way of decreasing your stress load. In addition to asking for support, having your priorities set is helpful. Is it really important to pristinely wrap the presents or is it more important to spend quality time with your partner and/ or children? The gift wrapper is going to tear to shreds regardless of how nice it looks, while memories and experiences you gained spending time with your loved ones, can last a lifetime.

Self Care

You have to fill your cup, so that you can give it to others. If filling your cup looks like having a massage to relieve those tense muscles, or having a manicure and pedicure to feel like you’ve been cared for, then do it. If it looks like having a retreat, where you do all the activities you love, or do yoga, meditate, read, then do it. You know what refuels you, so listen to your body. Right now is the best time to use your benefits for what they’re suppose to do - benefit you. You can also see a Naturopathic Doctor so that they can recommend additional lifestyle changes, supplements, and therapies that can help rebuild you, prevent burn out, and make you feel more energetic. They’re your benefits, so use it in a way that will benefit you.

Have a Joyous Holiday Season!

~ Dr. Charmagne

Foundations of Health - Stress Management

In this article, I will be talking about 1 Pillar of Health - Activity, and what you can do to have this foundation. These foundations is an awesome start to work towards your health goals, but if you have other underlying conditions, this is the first step. To accelerate your health journey and make sure you are going in the right direction, book an appointment with someone you trust and can work with.

Stress

Stress affects everything in your body. It is difficult for your body to digest and absorb nutrients from your meals if you are stressed since your body is in sympathetic mode. Sympathetic mode is when you go into a "fight, flight, (and more recently) or freeze" state. When you are in this state, your body prioritizes these actions by pumping blood to the heart and muscles so that you can fight or run, but at the same time, it decreases the flow of blood to your intestine and stomach. As a result, your digestive system is suppressed, and you don't digest your food or absorb the nutrients, which can cascade to different effects, such as being tired. Your body doesn't differentiate between life threatening stress and having-to-meet-a-deadline stress, your body reacts the same regardless. 

To heal, you need to switch your mode from sympathetic, to parasympathetic. Parasympathetic is the "rest, digest, and repair" mode, where your body can nourish itself and heal. This is the mode you want to be in when you are eating and sleeping, that way your body can do these functions optimally; otherwise, you will not be able to recover and nourish your body fully. An easy way to do this is by using breathing techniques. The one I generally recommend is the Square breathing technique, where you breath in for 4 seconds, then hold it for 4 seconds, exhale for 4 seconds, and then hold again for 4 seconds, before continuing this kind of breathing for a few cycles (try 5-10 cycles, you can do more if you want to). Doing this puts you into the parasympathetic mode, and is also a great way to help with anxiety.

One of the best ways to help relieve and manage stress is by physically active. Being active gives you a great outlet to let out your emotions, and allows you to express it. If you're really frustrated or angry, doing contact sports can be helpful since you get to hit a punching bag and let it go. If you feel really emotional, dancing is a beautiful way to express that feeling, and to let it go. This way to help relieve stress is related to the Activity part of the Foundations of Health, and as you may have gleaned, stress related to all parts of the foundation.

Another way to help manage your stress is by journalling, this way you are able to reduce the stress from your mind. You are able to express yourself in words - unfiltered. Express how you are really feeling and not have to censor yourself from saying certain things. This can be very liberating, especially if you find that you have to censor or filter yourself the entire day. This lets you be you, all of you, without fear of judgement. 

Lastly, there are herb that you can use to help your mind and body cope with stress better. These herbs are said to be adaptogens in the botanical world, and though they will all generally help you with stress, some of them are better than others - especially depending on your constitution and how you are currently doing with the stress. Some herbs are good for long time use, while others are better for short term use. The herbs for short term use tend to use your nutritional and energy stores to help you get through the stressful situation - which can be good, if you have those stores. The ones for long term use tend to be also very nutritive for the body, which is why you can use them for long term. It is best to talk to a health provider with herbal knowledge to determine which is the best one for you.

Happy breathing!

~Dr. Charmagne