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10 Healthy Tips to Avoid the Usual Holiday Stress
Dr. Tearani Williams of TienaHealth offers tips you can use to beat holiday stress.
By Diane Calmenson
The joy of the holiday season is just around the corner. Around the next corner is stress. With shopping, cooking, travel and “the relatives,” added to the daily mix of work, meals, laundry, housekeeping and the kids’ homework and activities, the pressure can really be too much.
Dr. Tearani Williams, a family physician with TienaHealth, has 10 healthy tips to help relieve the stress of the holidays.
Get enough sleep. Those visions of sugar plum fairies can’t dance in your head if you’re not sleeping. “Turn off the television and the computer and go to bed,” instructs Dr. Williams. “Sleep helps us handle normal stress during the day and it relieves stress at the end of the day.”
Eat a healthy diet. No one expects you to resist every tempting bite of delicious holiday foods. “Stress leads to overeating and overeating leads to stress,” says Dr. Williams. “The secret is moderation. You really don’t need that second helping of mom’s apple pie.”
Don’t drink too much. A drink at the end of a stressful day seems like a good idea. Recent studies show, however, that alcohol stimulates the production of the same hormones the body produces when under stress. So once again, the secret is moderation.
Pray. No better time than the holidays to say a prayer. Prayer, or meditation if you prefer, reduces stress because it forces you to take time out. Just being alone to reflect and contemplate can slow your heart rate and lower blood pressure.
Breathe. Really breathe. Take a long, deep breath in through your nose and watch your abdomen expand. Then, exhale slowly. Repeat a few times. You’ve just increased the level of oxygen in your blood and that reduces stress.
Hum a few bars. Music is a great stress reducer and mood changer. Research shows that music with an upbeat tempo stimulates brainwaves, while a slower beat induces a more relaxed state. Not to mention, singing loudly is great for deep breathing. (See #6) So go ahead—sing in the shower… and in the kitchen and in the living room.
Watch the caffeine. Caffeine can increase your level of cortisol—the body’s stress hormone. A moderate amount of caffeine, however, can boost your energy and your mood.Â
Drink a glass of milk. Leave the cookies for Santa, but you drink the milk. Warm or cold, milk seems to have a calming effect.
Treat yourself to a piece of dark chocolate. Choose dark chocolate that is at least 70 percent cocoa for the most stress-reducing benefits. Another benefit—it tastes pretty darn good.
TienaHealth’s mission is to help individuals add years to their life and life to their years by empowering them to take control of their health. TienaHealth, your medical home, has three locations including Las Colinas, 7200 N. State Hwy 161, Suite 300, Irving, TX 75039; Coppell, 546 E. Sandy Lake Rd., Suite 210, Coppell, TX 75019; and Frisco, 307 Main Street, Suite 135, Frisco, TX 75034. For more information or to make an appointment, go to www.tienahealth.com, or call 972-443-5300 (main), Coppell direct at 469-671-3337 or Frisco at 214-387-4073.
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