5 Tips for Managing Holiday Stress

The holiday season is full of celebration, but it also brings packed schedules, travel, shifting routines, and a lot of physical tension. At Freedom Physical Therapy, we see the same pattern every year: stress shows up in the body long before it shows up on your calendar. Here are 5 simple, effective tips for managing holiday stress this season.

A great routine to start and end your day is to wake up with the sun and go to bed at a time when you are able to get 8+ hours of sleep. Then, move your body every hour, whether that’s body weight squats, going for a walk, or some other form of movement. As a little tip, a great antidote to stress is to dedicate time to exercising, stretching, and resting. While you dedicate time to exercise, also make sure to dedicate time to yourself! Make it something you enjoy, whether that’s working out, reading, a warm bath, or something else.

Don’t restrict, enjoy your holiday favorites! Although you will want to ensure you still eat plenty of fiber, protein, and vitamins while trying to limit your sugar/caffeine intake. Holidays are busy, but staying on top of your normal supplements and prescriptions is still important. Winter months bring on various changes. Consider upping your vitamin D and zinc intake to help support your health.

Holiday stress, really stress from anything, can settle into the jaw, the traps, and the upper back. One thing you can do to help is check your posture. Ensure that you are not hunching your back. Stress, like previously mentioned, can settle in key areas, so it would be beneficial to massage those areas. Again, they were the jaw, the traps, and the upper back. Additionally, doing breathwork and other breathing exercises can help reduce stress levels.

Holidays are commonly known for gift-giving, so give yourself the gift of peace! Also, practicing gratitude will further regulate your body and help you feel calm. If that means that you need to get up a little earlier than everybody else, so you have quiet time, then give it a try and see how you feel. Feeling stressed can lead us to getting sick.

If holiday(s) are turning into recurring headaches, tightness, or discomfort. Reflect on what may be causing and if you need assistance, please seek the proper help. Personalized physical therapy can help reduce pain, form routines, and restore mobility so you can start the new year feeling your best!

Here’s your call to action – schedule a consultation. As always, enjoy more Freedom! Feel free to come visit us at one of our Freedom Physical Therapy locations – Mukwonago, Fox Point, Grafton, and Brookfield.