During the holidays which sees parties and family reunions happen, stress from cooking large meals, eating too much Christmas fruit cake and dealing with problems can quickly build up. In this mix is thrown in shopping for presents and dealing with demanding children. As a result, everyone from business owners to employees and homemakers deal with increased levels of stress, which needs to be handled and reduced. Continue reading if you want to find how to combat this stress and have a joyful time.

Eat the Right Food

The holidays are filled with several varieties of food and drink, but most of these such as Christmas cookies which are loaded with refined sugar and are just not suitable when it comes to relieving stress. Instead try out fresh produce like blood oranges which are usually available during the colder months, as they relieve stress and lower blood pressure.  Oatmeal mixed with fresh fruit, chamomile tea, leftover turkey incorporated into sandwiches, grilled sweet potatoes and salmon are the other stress relievers which you can indulge in. A thick lentil soup is also a perfect comfort food for stress relief and along with oysters help fight depression.

Buy Presents Ahead Of the Holidays

Buying presents for family members in store and dealing with the holiday rush is not a relaxing experience as you will find yourself competing with others for limited stocks of toys and video games. So instead buy presents ahead of time, and stock up on video games during Black Friday and Cyber Monday when there are steep discounts available. Shopping for toys can be done online and often you will get the same deals provided in store, so why not take advantage of them?

Stick to a Healthy Daily Routine

If you need to work and meet deadlines and goals during the holidays do not allow late night parties to leave you with a hangover the next day. This is where sticking to a daily routine which you follow at other times in the year when you drink less alcohol is handy. It will help you rise early, go to the gym and then to the office and reduce stress around the holidays.

Spend Time Decorating a Christmas tree or Baking

Taking time out to decorate a Christmas tree, putting up lights in the yard or just baking cakes and cookies bring back good memories. Additionally these creative activities take your mind away from factors that produce stress in the present and help lighten your mood.

Make Your Own Traditions

Making your own holiday traditions such as ordering fast food on Christmas day and having a movie marathon helps reduce the need for heavy-duty cooking throughout the holidays. So keep an open mind when creating your holiday traditions and do not be afraid to experiment until you find the right one for your family. Creating new holiday traditions for yourself or your family allows you to keep a positive outlook and get rid of the monotony of repeating old traditions passed down over the generations.

Going on a trek to get some sunlight, walking around the block near your home, and volunteering at a local community center are also efficient ways to beat stress. Finally don’t get burdened with stress when food is undercooked, burnt or someone spikes the eggnog with alcohol, instead embrace the imperfections and have a backup plan handy to deal with these situations.