The holidays are a truly special time of year. They bring family and friends from all over back together to celebrate each other and practice gratitude. On paper, you would think the holidays would be a stress free season full of giving and receiving, but that’s not always the case. 

People typically fall into one of two categories during the holidays, traveling or hosting. 

Both of these have some pretty solid pros and cons. If you’re planning on traveling for the season, some pros might be that you won’t have to prepare for company, cook an entire feast for all your family, or worry about where everyone is going to sleep or if they’ll have a good time. 

The list of cons, AKA your stressors, is just as long. If you’re flying then that’s a huge stress to the nervous system. You have to worry about making your flight, packing everything you need, and getting through security. If all of that wasn’t enough then you also have to sit on a plane with 200 other strangers and breathe the same air for hours. Sounds glamorous, right? 

Right… well there’s more. You also have to sleep in a new bed, in a novel environment, in someone else’s space. And no matter how comfortable you are with that person it’s just not the same as home. 

If you’re hosting then some pros would be that you get to sleep in your own home, be in your own space, and try to stick to your normal routines. You also don’t have the added system stressor of traveling. Som cons would be that you will probably have to shop and cook for multiple people if not multiple families, have people staying in your space, etc. 

Three things to do right now to prepare for the holiday stress:

Both of these options come with their added benefits and downfalls. So, I’m going to give you three things you can do to prepare for the holiday season to make sure you don’t get stressed, run down, and sick.

1. Set some boundaries:

This might sound obvious but it’s such an important step. If you know that dinner gets heated when you talk politics with Uncle John, make a conscious effort to avoid that topic. Give yourself some time throughout the day to go for a walk or hang out with your favorite family member. People cause just as much stress as circumstances do.

 

2. Take care of yourself, now

If you’re able to take care of yourself before the big week arrives then chances are your nervous system will be able to handle these stressors with ease. My biggest recommendations in this department would be to:

  • Get adjusted: this not only prevents you from having that neck pain crop up right as you’re carving the turkey, but it also allows your nervous system to get out of that fight or flight state and into a restful mode. 
  • Pack up your supplements: if you take supplements, get those packed up into little baggies that you can take with you. Before you go, start taking them religiously now if you happened to fall off recently. That way your body has everything it needs.
  • Get good rest: if you’re going to be hanging out, drinking, and staying up late with family then it’s super important to rest up before hand. It’s not quite the same as getting a restful nights sleep every night but it’s better than going into your vacation sleep deprived – thats a recipe for disaster.

 

3. Tie up loose ends:

Make sure you have everything at home/work/school taken care of to your best ability before the distractions of family, travel, or hosting arrive. Not having to send emails on Christmas Eve may not seem like a big deal, but it’s one more factor that comes into play with stress.

If you’re able to implement these three things then I can assure you you’re going to have a better holiday experience. We tend to neglect ourselves a little bit when it comes down to the end of the year but it’s so important to finish strong. 

How can our Boulder Chiropractors help you?

If you want to talk with us or see how we can help you stay healthy during the holidays then check out or site HERE or give us a call at 3034425911. Have an amazing end of your year!