It’s the most magical time of year… or the most stressful!
Christmas and the holiday season in general can be equal parts fun and hectic, or you might find that the stress outweighs any results of the effort you’re putting in. Here, we go into five ways you can make the holidays a lot less stressful.
1. Keep Your Levels of B Vitamins Up
B vitamins are required for healthy brain function and stress responses. Not only do our bodies need them for neurotransmitter (brain chemical) production, but as they’re used in cellular energy production, B vitamins are essentially needed for everything. The brain takes up B vitamins at a higher rate than any other part of the body, as it uses 20% of our energy intake. For example, folate is present in concentrations four times higher than that in blood plasma. Vitamin B5 is found at a staggering 50 times greater concentration!
Studies show brain structure and function improvements with B vitamin supplementation, which may relieve stress by making everyday life easier. These include a review of multivitamins where formulations focusing on B vitamins improved participants’ anxiety and perceived stress. And don’t worry about needing weeks or months of supplementation to notice any benefits, either. Two more papers have shown that just one dose of a multivitamin can significantly improve attention and cognitive function. This was measured by imaging, as well as cognitive testing.
2. Maintain Magnesium and Electrolytes
It seems counterintuitive at first, but even a favourite de-stressor over the holiday period can increase stress when enjoyed in moderation. Alcohol is a diuretic that requires a number of nutrients for its detoxification, so moderate amounts can still cause a mild depletion of your magnesium stores. Thankfully, a number of studies demonstrate that magnesium supplementation can readily relieve stress. They used self-rated stress levels and more objective measures such as heart rate variability. This breaks the harmful cycle where magnesium deficiency worsens stress, but stress then worsens magnesium deficiency.
3. Outsourcing Your Way Out
Outsourcing various tasks, including to yourself by planning ahead, shrinks your list of responsibilities. Some people stock a gift cupboard for Christmas parties and friends earlier in the year, while others may prepare food they can freeze in advance. There are plenty of catering companies and venues you can seek out for holiday parties so you aren’t left with the entire workload to complete at home.
We’d like to add that no one should ever feel guilty for outsourcing holiday tasks or cutting corners in any way. Disruptions to healthy stress hormone cycles can lead to cognitive and physical issues, so self-care is essential to your short- and long-term health.
4. Why Not a Holiday?
If you usually celebrate with a few close loved ones, a holiday where everything’s done for you can be a fantastic alternative to cooking and decorating at home. This may need planning in advance, especially in the case of Christmas and New Year’s cruises. Delayed celebrations are easier to accommodate, such as if work commitments mean you can’t take time off when most people can.
The most convenient way to pull this off is a staycation, where you pick somewhere within a reasonable driving distance. Using a hotel or map app that allows you to search for hotels (not holiday apartments with no service!) with a flyover view is a great way to see your options.
5. If You’re Staying Home, Delegate Responsibilities
Finally, if you’re staying home for Christmas with your family, don’t be afraid to ask for help. We recommend a written responsibilities roster listing tasks delegated to each family member. Even young children can start taking on simple, age-appropriate jobs, which can be a useful introduction to basic life skills. However, we cannot emphasise the “written” part enough. A hard copy of what each person is supposed to do holds everyone more accountable and helps prevent you from taking on more than what you should be doing/
Overall, the adult experience of Christmas and the holiday period doesn’t have to be one filled with stress. Enjoying the summer is for people of all ages, even if you have a few more responsibilities.
If you need a more heavy-duty self-care session to feel your best, contact us at SOUL IV to find out which of our infusions or shots is right for you.
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To learn more about how vitamin infusions might help you, contact SOUL IV’s Customer Experience team at 1300 GO SOUL or click here.
References:
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4772032/
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/7836619/
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7761127/
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32204832/
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Disclaimer: The information provided on this website is for educational purposes only. Please consult a physician before beginning any therapy program or making any adjustments in your healthcare, diet, and/or lifestyle. Do not remove yourself from any prescribed medications or therapies without consulting your doctor. Any and all dietary supplements or nutritional products discussed on this website are not TGA-approved and are not intended to diagnose, treat, prevent, or cure any disease. The information contained on this website is for general information purposes only. While we endeavour to keep the information up to date and correct, we make no representations or warranties of any kind, express or implied.
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