Whether you are traveling or staying home there is a tremendous amount of stressors this time of year. Here is a small list of nice things to do for yourself that will allow you to manage your time, life, energy level and all around environment.
Meditation- Whether your it is deep controlled breaths or simply chewing you foods slowly and enjoying each and every taste that comes out with each bite.
Exercise- We often forget about ourselves during this season. Whether you prefer a relaxing yoga classes or working out it is important not to forget about taking care of your body.
Bath- Soaking in a relaxing bath can help warm and rejuvenate your chilled exhausted body and mind.
Eating – Yes, this time when we eat whatever is in front of us to the point that we are literally stuffed. However, I am not talking about that kind of eating. Eating fresh whole foods. Walk away from processed foods, sugar and non organic meats. I have personally seen first hand many of my patients lose 20+ pounds in a few weeks just by cutting out sugar (refined cane etc) and processed foods ( any packaged food… Yikes that is everything! – no not really). Before food was processed we cooked and prepared our own foods at home without the preservatives, sweeteners and additives that are put in our food today.
Massage- A wonderful way to relax the body. Whether you are stress and achy or simply want to feel better and take care of yourself. Yes, there are people who say massage does not do anything. However, by Manually moving the lactic acid built up in your muscles the aches in pain you have throughout your body go away. My favorite massage Raindrop therapy under our services detoxes your body of toxins that build up in your muscles and spinal fluid. It is great for chronic pain and stress. It is VERY important to drink water after any massage. A LOT of water! This helps flush out the lactic acid and toxin your massage therapist has worked so hard to move out of your body! Plus, if you do not you will feel achy, dehydrated, nauseated, have a headache and all around crummy.
Easy Traveling- Bring little with you pack only what you truly need, why worry about having to cart your home with you when you travel. Why are you going on a vacation if you want it all wiht you. Less is best, especially when you will already be carting yourself, your loved ones and all your bags from cars to planes, trains etc. The extra physical stuff you bring can lead to more stress which causes more anxiety and aggravation.
Family, Friend and Associate Balance- Pick your battles and do not sweat the small stuff. Treat people the way you want to be treated and if they do not respond positively…. at least you know you are being the best person you can be. Usually like in science class positive attitudes attract more positivity in your life and negative can bring more negative.
Still can’t sleep or relax- Turn off the computer, Turn off the TV, Turn off your Telephone and open a great book. Reading relaxes the mind. Television, computers and phones stimulate us. Not only through the electro magnetic fields they create, but also through the content we read and hear and the images we see. Which brings up the most important aspect of the holiday season.
Sleep- GET SLEEP! Whether it is a 5 minute snooze or 2 hour afternoon nap, sleep is not just for dreaming. In fact, it usually unrestful when we have a lot of dreaming. Sleep is the time our body heals, rejuvenates, rebuilds the blood and enables us to throughly relax our body, mind and spirit. So if you can’t figure out why you just want to sleep there is a reason, your body needs the rest. Sometimes sleeping too much can be a problem especially when you wake up always feeling unrested and your are feeling adequate hours of sleep. I have found acupuncture and herbal medicine incredibly effective in treating all kinds of stress, pain, and sleep disorders.