Holiday Stress! 5 Intuitive Ways to Manage It

Hola amigos! Welcome back!

Ho ho ho, the big holiday season is here.  How can we use our intuitive practice to manage holiday stress? Whether you love the holidays or dread it, tune in for intuitive ways to manage the common holiday stress.

Highlights of this episode:

• Holiday Stress and Memory
• Food Habits During Holiday Stress
• Holiday Stress and Alcohol
• Anti-Diet Management of Holiday Stress

Announcements:

• Listener Feedback Survey is still open!  Click here to give your feedback.  Four lucky participants will be randomly selected to receive a $25 gift card to Amazon.com!
• David’s book releases next year. It focuses on real clients, heroes and sheroes, that took one small bite towards their health that improved energy, mood, or  sleep. The website has a sign-up sheet to launch a feedback group prior to publishing!

Episode Description: 

[04:05] Holiday Stress  

Holiday stress is something almost everyone experiences. Even with fun or traditional things. Learning how to manage holiday stress with an intuitive approach is helpful for overall health.

[08:23] Holiday Stress from Memories

Holiday stress can be triggered by memories. Memory (generally) starts around age five.  Memories can be triggered by our senses, like the feel, smell, or taste of something. Our senses bring us back, into nostalgia or past trauma. This recall can recreate the same response in the body. If you have not already, listen to the episode with Grace Wong, who discusses how the traumatic experience can affect our eating habits.

Our experiences often dictate what we eat. As we age, we gain more experiences around food. Holiday stress, our memories, emotions, and what we eat, is often linked to each other, building beliefs and behaviors.

[15:32] How Holiday Stress Builds Stress Around Food

The fall back of an hour, just an hour, can affect the circadian rhythm, which may affect our cardiovascular health. Add that to the holiday stress, it can really take its toll.

Holiday stress can affect eating. Some people lean into food as a comfort or mindless eating becomes a habit. Some people skip meals due to the busier schedule or avoid certain foods completely.  These patterns may create a cycle of deprivation and feasting, which leads to a feeling of guilt and shame in some people. Combine that with sleep disturbances, may reinforce unwanted eating behaviors.

Sleep disturbances can happen when there is light present when the dark would naturally be occurring. Light from our phones, computers, or televisions can disrupt our body’s natural circadian rhythm.

Midnight was named because of the natural sundown and natural sunrise; it was usually the middle of the night. Now, midnight is not the middle of the night for most people. If you have not already, listen to Episode 114 about sleep hygiene. Quantity and quality of sleep are both important for circadian health. When we wake, glucagon and adrenaline are active, which can create a fight or flight response. Our bodies think we have to go somewhere else or do something, so then, you feel awake. This disruption in our circadian rhythm can lead to a desire to eat later in the day or create cravings for certain foods.

[24:17] Holiday Stress and Alcohol

Some people increase the amount of alcohol during the holidays, whether that is from stress or an increase in social events. Either way, too much alcohol can disrupt sleep as well. Too much liquid in the evening can also cause waking to urinate.  So, this disruptor also ties back into sleep.  Sleep can have a big impact on our metabolism.

[27:20] 5 Intuitive Ways to Manage Holiday Stress

1. Slow Down

Take a break with a walk, meditation, deep breathing, or a hobby, read, do a puzzle, some exercise, to connect back to you. It’s another way of saying, listen to your body.

2. Eat regular meals and if needed, snacks

Take 20 minutes to have a meal. If you think – I’m way too busy for that! Refer back to tip #1, slow down. If that seems impossible, read on to tip #3.

3. Create boundaries

Create situations to what we do in life. Knowing how to say “no” and “yes.”  “No” to the things that take up too much space. “Yes” to your time, like the breaks and eating. Thinking about why you are saying “yes” or “no” to situations can be helpful. For David, he has learned that his ego and insecurities drove him to say “yes” to situations that he really did not have the time for.

4. Sleep

Sleep is a priority. Create a shutdown routine, reduce liquids in the evening (hydrate in the day), or shut screens down earlier to support sleep hygiene.

5. Self-compassion

You are not meant to go everywhere or do everything. You don’t have to be festive all the time. Prioritize your time and your basic needs. Allow yourself grace. Consistency with self-compassion can go a long way.

Tune in next week for an episode on body shaming, thank you for listening!

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Chop the diet mentality; Fuel Your Body; and Nourish Your Soul!