It’s the most stressful time of the year…
IT’S the most wonderful time of the year… at least for children, and probably men. For most women, however, the holiday season is the most stressful time of the year. The American Psychological Association found in a survey that holiday stress has a particular impact on women, who take charge of many of the holiday celebrations, particularly the tasks related to preparing meals and decorating the home. “Women are more likely than men to report an increase of stress during the holiday season,” it reported. “In addition, they have a harder time relaxing during the holidays and are more likely to fall into bad habits to manage their stress, like comfort eating.”
Tameka A Coley (Tami Tsansai) is the Author of Hard Gal Fi Dead, a speaker, and the director of communications at the Jamaica Mental Health Advocacy Network. She encourages women to be mindful of their mental health, especially now that tensions around the home and in family relationships might be heightened. She suggests that you try utilising these de-stressing techniques to keep your cool through Christmas.
Stay present
This is one of the most important things we can do. It is a great way to manage stress and maintain good mental health. Focusing on events of the past or on future troubles that may not even manifest only puts undue pressure on the body and mind. The best way to practice this is to focus on one thing at a time, or only on what you’re doing in the present moment, and when your mind wanders, gently bring it back to the task at hand.
Get moving
Choose the activity that best suits you and do something to stay active. This not only helps you maintain overall health, but is also essential to your emotional well-being. Movement, be it dance, yoga, cardio, walking or another form of exercise, keeps the mind-body connection strong, thus strengthening your cognition and capacity to handle stressful situations.
Clear your mind
Do something that helps you stay present and keeps you from thinking of stressful things. Whether it is talking to a friend, journalling, listening to music, going for a run, drawing, sleeping or watching a movie, having a go-to activity that helps you stay grounded when you’re not feeling so hot makes all the difference.
Take a break
Make time just for you. Spending time alone to recharge, check in with yourself and hear your thoughts is crucial to good mental, spiritual and emotional health. It’s also quite draining to constantly be on the move or in the company of others, and can be taxing to your physical health as a result.
Be intentional
Not all days and situations are wonderful, but you can still choose to shift your focus to what is actually going well, a brighter outcome you’re looking forward to, or pay attention to where you are and what you’re doing right now, making the decision to fully immerse yourself in the moment. It’s important to take decisive, purposeful action rather than letting life carry you along without your conscious input.
Let go
Trim the fat. Your life will become easier and far less stressful if you start doing away with the things, circumstances and people that are not serving your highest and greatest good. The more you learn to let go, the more space you open up to receive the abundant blessings available to you. So clean out the clutter in your digital and physical environment. Buy, use and keep only what you love. Meditate, journal or use another outlet, creative or otherwise, to clear your mind. Stay away from people who make you feel badly about yourself and release those that are clearly not contributing positively. Be open enough to also assess your own behaviour towards others and make the adjustments where necessary. This helps to cultivate a sense of overall peace and contentment — a great foundation for stressful times.
—Candiece Knight
