The Holiday Rush Is Here: How to Get Ready for It

There’s so much happening during the holidays. You go to parties of all sorts and gather with people you’ve seldom seen in the past year. You shop for gifts and wrap them all up for your friends and loved ones to enjoy. While the holidays are full of love, food, laughter, and presents, they can also be tiring and stressful. In fact, according to Psychology Today, the holiday rush can negatively affect your health.

Holiday-related stress can trigger unexpected emotions. This can worsen existing mental health problems and symptoms. Despite the numerous opportunities for connection with friends and family, you can become disconnected, depleted, and drained. Because of this, you’ll be unable to enjoy the festivities.

Fortunately, there are things that you can do to keep your mind and body healthy and be prepared for the coming holiday rush. You can reduce your chances of getting sick and stressed and enjoy the season. If you’re looking for ways to get ready for the holiday rush and get through it, here are several tips that might help.

Plan Ahead

Look ahead and plan accordingly. That’s the best way to stay on track this holiday season. This is important, especially if you have a history of finding the holidays an emotionally difficult time of the year. You can minimize and manage your stress levels if you plan to prevent situations that have triggered stress-related symptoms in the past.

On the other hand, you should consider planning for activities that you need to accomplish. Schedule them in your calendar, so you can avoid rushing into things and end up doing stuff at once.

Shop Early

It’s best if you can go shopping earlier than usual. Two years ago, you might have heeded this advice so that you could avoid the crowd of Christmas shoppers. However, you should shop early this year, considering the ongoing supply chain issues and product shortages.

In addition, when you go shopping, do it online instead. You’ll save time and energy this way. Online shopping will allow you to browse for the best deals, all from the comfort of your own home.

There is one drawback to online shopping, though. You should be aware of fraud and scams online. During the holidays, scammers are more cunning. They know that people often spend without thinking during this season.

Online scammers often put up fake websites and ads through social media. You’ll know that they are fraudulent if, instead of charging your credit card, they ask for payment through a wire transfer, preloaded cash card, or money order. Their shops offer products that are too cheap or selections that are too good to be true. You’ll also notice that there are a lot of typos and bad grammar. They also don’t have customer feedback, reviews, return policies, or terms and conditions.

Keep Your Mind and Body Healthy

Eat healthily and drink more water. This way, your mind and body will be ready when the festivities begin, and you’ll be served with sugary treats. This season is known for all the food that people will indulge in. Nothing, however, can bring you down more than sugar.

According to health magazine Redbook, gut and mental health are connected. The food you eat and the liquid you drink affect your mood and emotions. When you eat more sugary food, your gut can’t eliminate stress-inducing hormones like adrenaline and cortisol. This leads to inflammation associated with symptoms of depression.

Alcoholic drinks are also something that you should take in moderation. They may help you through your sadness or social anxiety, but according to Redbook magazine, they can worsen your condition in the long term.

To keep your mind and body healthy for the holidays, eat fewer sweets and instead eat complex carbohydrates such as fruits and vegetables. Drink more water, and limit your intake of caffeinated drinks and alcoholic beverages.

Manage Your Stress

Chronic stress can destroy your health. Chest pain, sleep problems, elevated blood pressure, upset stomach, and headaches can become a normal part of your life if you constantly live with stress. According to Psychology Today, it’s true that stress can’t be avoided considering it’s the body’s natural response to perceived danger, whether internally or externally.

Stress is inevitable, but it can also be manageable. Staying physically active, going to a massage clinic, and getting enough sleep are some remedies to high stress levels. They can also improve your body’s response to stress should you be subjected to particular situations.

Don’t Forget to Seek Support

However, if all the holiday rush aggravates your anxiety, depression, and stress levels, you should avoid it altogether. Spending quiet time with your closest friends or family will do, and they’ll understand your situation.

Remember that if you’re feeling isolated, lonely, and depressed, you should never underestimate the help that various forms of support can provide. Talking to someone can help lessen the effect of stress in your life. It will help you get through the pressure of the holiday rush.