Christmas is one of the most festive periods of the year and combined with New Year’s celebrations bring the year to a close with a joyous yet stressful few weeks of frenzied shopping, general running around in order to decorate the home or office, partying, and eating and drinking to our hearts’ content.
Our bodies are under stress leaving us anxious, fatigued and susceptible to illnesses such as the common cold or the flu. Here are some simple steps that we can use to remain healthy and merry while maintaining our balance in preparation for the New Year ahead.
Eat Healthy
- Christmas usually a time for merriment and rich foods.
During the Yuletide our bodies need essential vitamins and minerals such as vitamin C to help support all its basic functions that are stressed by all the Christmas activities. Super foods such as fruits and vegetables provide the assistance the immune system needs to resist illnesses such as the flu and the common cold which can be prevalent in the party season. Supplementing your diet with a probiotic such as Acidophilus while help keep the digestive tract functioning regularly especially due to the amount of food consumed at this time. Milk thistle empowers the liver to process the increase in alcohol intake, which can lead to harmful hangovers.
Drink Herbal Teas
Green Tea is great for the Nervous System
Peppermint and Ginger teas aid digestion especially after large meals that leave us bloated with the need to sleep. Green Tea promotes a strong nervous system by removing toxins and soothing the brain to relieve stress. The reduction in anxiety that results helps us to remain balance and enhances our enjoyment of the season. Camomile is wonderful at the end of a long day to help induce a gentle and relaxed sleep. Additionally, placing the warm tea bags over the eyes for 15-30 minutes can help with tired and red eyes. Assam teas are a great enhancer of the immune and digestive functions as they detox the body.
Exercise
This is a great way to boost endorphins that help us feel better. Exercise reduces the effects of hangovers since during the activity you sweat out the toxins. A nice walk in the park or on the beach will be good for the body, give you time to reflect and take you away from the busy season while adding some normalcy to your Christmas routine. If you are not accustomed exercising adopt this plan with some wisdom.
Relaxation, Rest and Sleep
Don't cheat yourself out of much needed time to relax and unwind.
Do not cheat yourself some much needed “me” time to relax and unwind. If we keep on the go without taking time to recharge our batteries, we will end the season fatigued and of no use to ourselves. Therefore, make sure you get adequate amount of sleep to ensure that your body is getting the time to repair and revive from your hard, busy day. This is essential to maintain a high energy level and a healthy nervous system.
Holistic Treatment
Treatments such as, Shiatsu, Indian Head Massage, Chakra Rebalancing, Reiki, Reflexology, and Aromatherapy Massage, all help to relieve the types of stress that would be associated with this busy season. If you cannot spare the time during the Christmas period, make some after to relax, recharge and bring your body, mind and spirit back into balance. Therapies such as these allow the practitioner to target the areas of your body that would have been affected by the stress such as head, shoulders, lower back, legs and feet. They all gently work to relieve any harmful effects.
Christmas has the potential to be a stressful time, however, practicing the above suggestions should help us stay healthy, happy and balanced in body, mind, and spirit.
The Merkaba Centre 