Believe it or not, summer has come and gone—and the holiday season is just around the corner. For most people, that means it’s time to break out the decorations and start planning your family time. As much as we’d all like to kick back and relax for the next few months, for most of us, the holidays can actually be a pretty stressful time. We want everything to be perfect–from the Thanksgiving dinner to the holiday gift-giving–but it’s important to remember to take time for yourself. Try using some of these techniques like taking CBD oil for sleep to help yourself feel more well-rested or keeping yourself active.
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Stick to Your Routine
Although it may be difficult to keep the same routine you usually have during the holidays, it’s best to try and keep your everyday habits as steady as possible. This will help reduce feelings of stress, particularly around the holidays when we have a lot on our minds, and prevent you from constantly worrying about what needs to get done the following day. Eating a healthy breakfast and working out early on in the day are two great habits to keep you feeling happy and healthy.
Plan Ahead
One of the most stressful aspects of the holidays is all the planning that goes into hosting one of the holidays at your home, decorating the house and purchasing the perfect gift for all of your friends and family. When you put all of this off until the last minute, you’ll create greater feelings of anxiety for yourself as you scramble to get everything done. Start planning your holiday gift shopping right after Thanksgiving to give yourself plenty of time to find the perfect item and take advantage of sales.
Reduce Your Alcohol Intake
I know, I know—drinking with friends and family is one of the best parts about the holiday season, but too much alcohol can start to impact your sleep schedule and mental health. It’s okay to indulge in one cup of spiked cider at night by the fire or have a few drinks at a Christmas party, but avoid overdoing it. Drinking large quantities of alcohol may help you fall asleep quicker, but alcohol consumption has actually been proven to reduce your REM sleep. Although you may be falling asleep more easily after drinking, you’re not getting the quality sleep that you need to feel well-rested in the morning. A lack of REM sleep can lead you to feel tired and unmotivated the next day, even if you got the required seven to eight hours of sleep.
Try Using CBD Oil for Sleep
Our sleep cycle is regulated by our 24-hour internal clock, known as our circadian rhythm, which is ordinarily affected by natural light. However, our circadian rhythm can get thrown off, deeply impacting our sleep schedule. Using CBD oil for sleep can help rebalance that natural rhythm and get your sleep schedule back on track. If you take a CBD tincture oil 20 to 30 minutes before bed or use a topical cream about an hour before bed, you’ll feel noticeable sensations of calm and relaxation, getting your body ready for rest.
Get the Right Amount of Sleep
As the winter rolls around, it becomes much easier for many of us to oversleep, thanks to early sunsets and the cold temps. But oversleeping can actually cause the same feelings as not getting enough sleep—lack of concentration, grogginess, irritability. Instead, make a point to go to sleep and wake up at the same time every day to ensure you’re getting the recommended seven to eight hours of sleep. If you find that you’re able to sleep past your usual wake-up time on the weekends by two hours or more, that means you’re not getting enough sleep during the week. You should aim to get the same amount of sleep at the same time every night.
Keep Yourself Active
Staying busy during the holidays may not seem difficult, but it’s important to keep yourself occupied with things you enjoy, not just holiday-related errands. Even though the weather may be cold and dreary, you should still motivate yourself to exercise in some form. Exercise helps reduce feelings of anxiety and promotes feelings of euphoria, thanks to the release of endorphins. Aside from exercise, you should also make a list of things to do with your family that are fun and not centered around eating. So many of our holiday activities have to do with gorging on delicious food, but this can leave us feeling lethargic and unmotivated. Get out there and spend some quality time to keep yourself upbeat and carefree.
Allow Time for Self-Care
Oftentimes during the holiday season, we push our focus on other people—what will we buy for gifts, who will be invited over for parties—but it’s important to make time for yourself, too. Find something that you enjoy, whether it’s a new hobby like knitting or just time to read a good book. Having something else to focus on that makes you feel good and relaxed will help reduce those feelings of anxiety we often experience during the holidays. Self-care can come in many forms—do a mud mask with your friends and have a spa night or start a journal to stay in touch with your thoughts and emotions. Whatever you choose to do, remember to focus on yourself from time to time.
Holidays: A Time for Joy and Rest
The holidays can be one of the greatest times of the year as you get to share special moments with friends and family, but it’s also one of the most stressful times of the year as we have so much to plan and accomplish. Instead of stressing yourself out this season, try to take some time for yourself and implement your own self-care routines. Using CBD products is a great way to maintain a sense of calm and help to regulate your body’s natural sleep cycle to leave you feeling more well-rested than ever.