Holiday Stress – Get A Massage!

The holidays are upon us again, and we all love this time of the year. But sometimes, the pressure we put ourselves under to have the ‘perfect’ celebrations can cause so much stress and anxiety. And we all wonder if all the holiday stress and anxiety are worth it!

According to the American Psychological Association, it’s no surprise that women are most at risk from holiday stress. No matter how equal the sexes claim to be, women tend to take charge of most holiday arrangements, from planning, buying, and preparing food, decorating the home, buying the gifts, or just organizing who goes where. Women also find it harder to relax once the holidays are here. And they often deal with the build-up of stress (and any family tensions that happen over the holiday periods) by overeating and other not-so-healthy coping mechanisms.

Holiday Pressures

Although most of us claim to look forward to the celebrations at this time of year, we can also get stressed out about them. Men and women feel pressured to make the holidays’ perfect’ for their families, leading to arguments and stress. There’s pressure to attend work parties, see friends, and not leave anyone out. Money worries add to the mix. Celebrating isn’t always cheap. Furthermore, people admit that they cannot ever let go of work even while enjoying festivities. Some found themselves stressing about tasks they’ve left behind in the office.

Some of us are just working way too hard to enjoy the holidays – 31% of people admitted that they were stressed because they couldn’t get enough time off from the day job to enjoy themselves properly. So – with all this stress build-up, you need an escape valve!

How to Beat Holiday Stress

Don’t resort to comfort eating to relieve feelings of anxiety or stress. It feels good at the time, and it’s so hard to resist all the delicious food and invitations to parties that inevitably come up at this time of year. But you’ll feel sick and bloated if you overdo the candy or delicious party food. Eat whatever you like but try not to eat when you’re tense. Being stressed affects your digestion and can lead to you feeling even worse.

Take some time out for yourself if you feel the pressure of organizing everything starts to creep up on you. Just because it’s Thanksgiving or Christmas, it doesn’t mean you have to spend the whole time dealing with the needs of the rest of your family, friends, or workplace. You can’t give anything if you are also empty, so treat yourself to a massage instead to beat the holiday stress. A good massage will not only make you feel relaxed and ready to face another round of gift shopping, but it stimulates feel-good hormones, boosts your circulation, and can even help boost your immune system. These are an absolute must if you’re going to be socializing with friends, family, and workmates more than usual.

Doing something that’s just for you will help improve your mood. You won’t find it so irritating when people make holiday-related demands on you at this time of year. You’ll feel much more able to deal with fighting kids, annoying relatives, and a partner who is too busy watching TV to help you with the washing up if you’ve had your fill of relaxing massage before the holiday season kicks off. It’s your gift to yourself – and as they say in the commercials – you’re worth it!

And we at Brilliant Massage & Skin can offer you the best relaxation if you’re feeling sick with all the holiday stress. Call us now or book a massage session and give yourself the best gift you deserve.

Brilliant Massage & Skin

Burlington, Vermont