Holiday Stress

With all the hustle and bustle in our lives it’s no wonder holiday stress is so high for widows.

Here are some tips to help widows with their holiday stress:

Research shows just six minutes of down time can help you unwind.  Try some reading time and failing that try listening to an audio book.  Worries fade away when you engross yourself in a fantastical world.

Inhaling the distinctive scent of “evergreen pine” calms our central nervous system, helping us to feel more at ease.

Nothing lowers stress as good as a cuddle.  Wrap your arms around a grandchild, good friend or pet.  No matter how brief a cuddle, it releases a happiness hormone that curbs stress.

Simply humming to a verse or two of our favorite Christmas music can lower our stress.  It seems that humming triggers rhythmic vibrations in our inner ears and that releases stress build ups.

Spending some time outside releases the happiness-boosting hormone serotonin.  So, take an evening walk around the neighbourhood and enjoy the holiday lights.

Here is a big one for me – it’s focusing on just what I’m doing in that moment.  Paying attention to a single task helps the brain to truly relax.

Holiday foods and spices can sooth us, taking away our edginess and dropping our anxiety.      Nutmeg, inhale its aroma and sprinkle over vegetables/hot chocolate/eggs or put in pancake mix or coffee.  Sweet potatoes are full of carotenoids that heighten our mood-steading hormones. Savor the juices of winter citrus, because they tamper down our tension as the Vitamin C calms us.

Finally, cut yourself some slack.  If something goes off track, take a deep breath and count to 30.  This helps you to relax, gives you time for some self-compassion and reminds you that you’re only human and holiday stress doesn’t have to overtake your joy.

To help you with this, do some deep breathing.  Lie on your back and place your hands on your lower belly.  Take three deep breaths, watch as your hands rise up and down.  Breathe in through your nose and exhale back out through your nose to a count of eight.  Deep breathes will slow your heart rate and lower your blood pressure.  You can even do this in a chair, so you reap the benefits no matter where you are.

To Our Shared Journey,                                                                                      

Mary Francis is a Certified Grief Recovery Specialist®,  Certified Law of Attraction Facilitator,  Early Intervention Field Traumatology (EIFT) and Author/Founder of “The Sisterhood of Widows”