Welcome to Wellness Wednesday…here are a few tips to help ease the holiday blues. Yes, thats right the blues. Many people feel down, depressed and angry during the holidays. Especially the ones that fall in November and December.
This blue feeling may have something to do with the lack of light in the Northern Hemisphere…and the fact that we all really want to relax and enjoy ourselves…yet, we might not know how.
How do we limit stress and unwind during this dark part of the year when we may be expected to cook, entertain, be at home with young children who have wants and needs and basically watch the sky grow dark at 4:30 pm?
Here are some of my “go-to” solutions for the holiday blues…
Relax into the day slowly Upon rising… I begin my day with a three minute meditation…breathe in …breathe out…I think about what I am grateful for. Then I make a cup of warm lemon water to alkalize my system, especially if I am thinking about eating sweets later on. I consciously move through my home with ease and grace. Allowing each step I take to be gentle upon the earth.
Cooking with intention I think about the people I love when I stir the gravy, cook the cranberries into sauce or whip cream for a pumpkin pie. My friends & family feel good when they eat my food.
Have fun! One of the reasons we are here, in the physical body is to have fun! So I purposefully laugh everyday. I either remember something funny or I watch SNL or stand up comedy or You-Tube clip of a comedian, like Sebastian Maniscalco or Ellen.
Laughter can help eliminate feelings of depression, anxiety and illness.
Chewing Did you know that a fork-full of food can be chewed 100 times…that takes a while so, on a good day I normally chew a bite at least 25 times. You get the idea…slowing down when you eat helps aid digestion and makes your body feel good. And when you feel good…you feel less bad!
Be Gracious At first it may seem like an effort… try it anyway…say thank you to everyone and everything in your life. Make it into a habit. I thank the trees, the farmers who grow my food, the blue sky, the ocean, the wind…Being grateful boosts your energy and decreases inflammation, and it gets you out of your own head…in essence it makes you feel better.
Remember to take good care of yourself first...and then you will be in the perfect place to care for your family.
Thank you.
Have a happy day today.
Did you know that massage therapy is another great way to beat the winter blues...? Are you ready to take care of yourself? Schedule your therapeutic massage at Blue Hill Healing, today.
Follow Christina on instagram @ChristinaMontanoMaine & @IntentionalSoup