Tap Into Your Inner Zen This Holiday
STAY CALM DURING THE FESTIVE SEASON
The festive season is rolling in, and if you’re feeling decidedly stressed at the thought, you’re not alone. Studies reveal that a huge proportion of us experience bad vibes during the holiday season, with one revealing that nearly half of women in the US experience heightened stress levels at this time. If we paint a picture of intense family meetups, children under feet, and days of being together, it’s easy to see how this can bubble over.
This stress can wreak havoc on our festive schedule, leading to sleep disturbances, irritability, and a sense of loneliness. But hold up, because here are the positives – first, this is a common, shared experience among parents. Second, there are techniques and tools at the ready to help you navigate this hot mess. This comes down to tapping into stress-management tools and focusing on yourself amid the muddle of festivities. You guessed it, CBD also has potential in this big picture, with its promising effects on alleviating stress and anxiety. Let’s dive in and illuminate this subject, festive lights style.
What Is Holiday Season Stress?
Kids, friends, in-laws; parties, caroling, late nights; pressure to have a good time, get along, make lifelong memories – all these things go hand-in-hand with big calendar events like the holiday season. The irony is, we all know that the more pressure you place on a situation, the less cool we’re going to behave. Add to this an expectation of perfection (when real-life people are far from perfect), and things can crumble around us in a moment.
But this isn’t just about the people we’re sharing the holidays with, there are other factors at play. Understanding how the choices we make during this time affect our emotions and behaviors is step one. Here’s a rundown of all the things that add to the festive pressure cooker in your mind.
- Out-of-whack routines – Anyone with kids knows it, routines can be a lifesaver. Admittedly, if yours are older, they can adapt easier to routine changes, but that doesn’t mean there’s zero fallout. Even adults can suffer from a routine change and making time for normal things, like exercise, for instance, can help you find your balance amid the chaos.
- Too much caffeine – Feeling tired out? Before you have the umpteenth cup of coffee, remember that caffeine is a trigger for unwanted sensations like nervousness and anxiety. All the stuff you want to keep in balance when you’re faced with demanding little (and big) humans.
- Alcohol – Festivity often starts and ends with more drinks, right? And while this can be part of a good time for many of us, it can also have some niggling side effects. Alcohol is right up there with caffeine as a trigger for your nerves, especially as it impacts sleep and hydration, amplifying those physical symptoms of anxiety.
- Sleep deprivation – Circle back to the above points, more alcohol and caffeine, and a change in routine, and you can see just how easy it is for your sleep to get off track. As you suffer from sleep deprivation, you’re more prone to all those anxious feelings. Think about it as volume control, being turned right up as you combine all these factors.
- Dietary changes – Festive chocolates, refined carbs, and sugars, all of these influence our bodies and our minds. As we eat more of these foods, we experience sugar spikes and crashes, in turn manifesting in sensations of worry, irritability, and sadness.
- Money – It’s an expensive time of year, especially with kids, and heading into your downtime with financial worries is the least relaxing way to do it. This one can be managed though by staying strong, sticking to a budget, and being sensible with what you can afford.
- Boundaries – We all have our boundaries with other people. Often carefully guarded at normal times, lots of people and intense socializing, even if that’s just with your immediate family, can break down the boundaries you’ve carefully set up. Know this – it’s ok to stick to them, even if they have to flex during busy times like this. Me-time is healthy and necessary.
It’s important to note that it’s nearly impossible to live exactly as you usually would during the holiday season. That doesn’t mean you can’t turn to the things that make you feel better either. Finding a way to carve out a little time each day for yourself is necessary, and sensible, and it will pay off.
Although it’s perfectly understandable to feel stressed under this kind of pressure, it doesn’t mean you have to suffer from it. Just like any pressurized moment in life, there are ways to manage our emotional and physical responses to stress and anxiety. Here are a few tips to get you started.
So, your routine is out the window. Festivities involve a bit of throwing ourselves into the fray, but we can still balance it where possible. Everyone is different, and some of us crave that alone time more than others. Understanding your personal needs here is key and finding a little space to be alone can work wonders for the soul. Whether it’s for a 10-minute mindfulness meditation, a bath, or to read a book and quietly sip a morning coffee. This is all about you seeking room within your busy schedule to fly solo.
If the holiday season is one big, long party, hats off to you. For most mere humans, continual indulgence can hurt mood and health and limiting what you eat, and drink can make all the difference. Be it caffeine, sugary foods or refined carbs, or alcohol, they all have that triggering effect. Sometimes saying a little no to these treats can feel hard, but it will be worth it when you wake up fresh and energized.
We know that festive breaks often equal family conflict. Finding the good in the situation and occasionally in others can be a difficult task, especially as you get more deeply emotionally entrenched. Practicing gratitude daily can help you mentally spin that one around when you’re feeling sad or angry. There are different ways to do this, from keeping a gratitude journal to gratitude meditations to find the good in your situation.
If you have a hard time saying no, setting and sticking to boundaries during the holidays can feel difficult. But remember that you have the power and the right to say no and taking some time for yourself is ok. If this is a challenge with your family dynamic, start small, and stay consistent. Having a clear idea of where your boundaries are before the festivities start will help you find your groove.
Having a toolkit for anxiety and stress is the best approach for managing holiday stress, and this includes everything from looking after your body to being kind to your mind. Interestingly, CBD also holds promise in situations like this, with its potential to help alleviate our response to stress and anxiety. If sleep deprivation is getting to you, note that while research is in its early stages, studies show links between CBD and sleep. CBD may also create a harmonic reaction among major physiological systems, in turn, promoting better overall well-being so you’re at your best during this hectic time.
Tip: Try our Dream Night Tincture as a part of your holiday bedtime routine for extra stress and sleep support.
There are plenty of ways to add cannabinoid therapy to your routine, including CBD bath salts for your self-care moments, balms for aching muscles, teas, and tinctures. One of our favorite, festive ways has to be mocktails and cocktails though, and here are just two to get you inspired.
Image Credit: Delish
A simple, four-step maximum mocktail is what we’re talking about. Close to zero effort and flavor profile turned right up, our favorite this season is the Shirley Temple mocktail. Refreshing, palette cleansing and moreish, it’s lighter than most too. Add a CBD twist and you’ll feel relaxed and buzzed in no time.
Ingredients:
- 2 tablespoons of grenadine
- 1 tablespoon of freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon of freshly squeezed lime juice
- 6 tablespoons of club soda
- Balance Everyday CBD Tincture
- Ice to mix
- Maraschino cherries to garnish
Method:
- Get a tall glass and pour in the grenadine.
- Stir in lemon and lime juice and muddle the mixture gently.
- Add half to a full dropper of our Balance Everyday Tincture for 15-30mg of CBD and a refreshing hint of mint.
- Top your glass right up with ice before pouring in the club soda.
- Finish with maraschino cherries for an extra twist.
Like vodka? Enjoy drinks that are full of festive cheer? Then roll up because we’ve found the perfect one. We especially like the way this recipe blends spicy ginger beer with citrus flavors. You guessed it, add CBD as directed in the steps below and you have the potential to feel extra buzzed in a jolly, low-key way.
Ingredients:
- 2 ounces vodka
- 1/2-ounce St. Germain (an elderflower liquor). This step is optional
- 1/3 cup clementine or blood orange juice freshly squeezed
- Ginger beer
- Balance Everyday CBD Tincture
- Pomegranate seeds
- 1 sprig of fresh thyme or mint
Method:
- Grab a cocktail glass and fill it with ice.
- Add vodka, elderflower liquor if you’re using it, and clementine/blood orange juice.
- Top with a little ginger beer to fill the glass.
- Add a quarter to a half dropper of our Balance Everyday Tincture for about 8mg-15mg of CBD then stir gently to mix.
- Garnish with pomegranate and thyme or mint.
Press Pause CBD for Holiday Stress
We believe we all have the power to deal with the stress that can come with the holiday season. Finding the right tools to enable you to do that is our thing, and our premium, high-quality CBD can play a part in your overall plan. Bringing you trusted products without any toxic ingredients, the Press Pause specialty range of CBD wellness products only uses the highest quality CBD and clinically-backed formulations. To see how we can help, speak to our team for more information or browse our shop.
