How can we spread good cheer when we’re not feeling it ourselves?  We can’t.  But with some precautionary self-care, we can make the holiday season merry and bright.  Here are our top 5 tips for managing holiday stress:

1.  Don’t abandon your healthy habits.  Overindulgence only adds to your stress and guilt.  Before heading out to a holiday party, enjoy a healthy snack at home so you don’t go overboard on party food and drink.  Don’t drop exercise from your schedule to accomodate other demands; it’s even more important at this time of the year!  Likewise, don’t sacrifice sleep.  Santa and his elves might work around the clock to spread Christmas cheer, but that doesn’t mean you should!

2.  Create a new holiday tradition-15 minutes alone each day!  Make some time for yourself. Just a few minutes alone, without distractions, will refresh you and give you more energy to handle all of the things you need to do.  Gaze at the Christmas tree.  Take a short walk to admire the lights in the neighborhood.  Or, listen to holiday music while you sip a cup of peppermint tea.  Find a quiet activity that reduces stress by clearing your mind, slowing your breathing and restoring your inner calm.

3.  Set your priorities. It’s important to decide what traditions mean the most to you.  Pick a few favorite activities and eliminate the rest.  Santa isn’t the only one who should make a list and check it twice.  Take a pen and paper and ask yourself: What do you value, above all else? Is it spirituality, family, time for yourself?  What comes second? Third? After some thought and reflection, rank your top priorities and place your list in your calendar.  Refer to it when asked to make commitments and decline if the invitations do not match up with your priorities.

4.  Energize your body and your self-image.  It goes without saying that you should eat well, drink plenty of water, get enough sleep, and exercise.  But during the holidays it also helps to give yourself an extra boost of energy.  A great haircut, a pedicure with bright red polish, a massage, or a relaxing acupuncture treatment can do wonders for your physical and your emotional well-being!

5.  Acknowledge and approve of your feelings.  If you’re feeling a sense of loss or loneliness; if you’re experiencing chronic stress or anxiety; or if you’re experiencing depression or insomnia, then you need more than mild stress reduction techniques.  Talk with a professional who can provide assistance in helping you cope during this especially difficult time. 

For more ideas on how to effectively manage holiday stress, we recommend Reader’s Digest’s 37 helpful stress management tips.  Note how many of them are based on the principles of acupressure, acupuncture, and the self-care concepts encouraged in Eastern medicine!

As the holidays approach, we can all use thoughtful ideas on how to manage stress and anxiety.  Many people also struggle with keeping their eating under control during a season of heavy feasts, parties, and holiday treats!  After the excitement of the New Year, when we approach the coldest, darkest time of the year, the winter blues or SAD (seasonal affective disorder) can set in.  We’ve got tips on how to prevent this disruptive pattern. 

Spring is a season of rebirth, but for many it means a return of dreaded seasonal allergies.  Look for our life-changing post on allergies coming this spring 2011!

We’ll share our thoughts about weight management, skin care, ADD for adults and minors, women’s health issues, menopause, and a host of other topics.  We’ll also use this space as forum to discuss diseases and conditions that can be effectively treated with acupuncture–fibromyalgia, rheumetoid arthritis, and IBS (Irritable Bowel Syndrome), just to name a few.

No matter which topic we’re addressing, we intend for our blog to be a helpful extension of the safe, comfortable, and supportive environment we foster at AHS.

Please check back regularly to see what’s on our minds.  And don’t forget to tell us what’s on your mind:  share your thoughts and feedback in the Comments section at the end of each post, and add us to your RSS feed (if you have one!). 

We look forward to making this blog a vibrant forum for AHS patients and the acupuncture community.