3 Ways to Stop Holiday Anxiety in Its Tracks
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Happy (almost) Thanksgiving, everyone! I cannot believe how quickly we have found ourselves in the holiday season this year. Seriously, every year I feel like time goes by just a little bit fast than it did the year before… anyone else?! What’s even crazier to think about is that it’s almost 2020… not only a new year, but a new decade. But that’s a topic of conversation for another day!
Today, I wanted to chat a little bit about anxiety… but not just your typical, everyday anxiety… specifically, I want to talk about holiday anxiety. In just a few days, many of us will be on our way (or are already on our way) to spend time with our family in celebration of Thanksgiving, the holiday of gratitude, quality time with loved ones, and food. Many of us experience anxiety around this time of the year, and who can really blame us? There are endless amounts of parties to attend, places to be, errands and tasks to complete, time to be spent in close quarters with family for days on end… and of course, there’s the food. So much food. So much unhealthy food. So much unhealthy food that we want to eat.
It’s a lot, right?
If you experience anxiety around the holidays, regardless of what triggers it, and would maybe like to change that this year, here are 3 ways that you can stop holiday anxiety in its tracks so that you can spend less time feeling anxious and more time enjoying the season with your friends and family!
1. Slow down. Food anxiety tends to show up a lot during the holidays, and to say that the end of the year is all about indulgence is an understatement. Just think about it… Thanksgiving revolves around eating… and the majority of the food traditionally served on Thanksgiving is not good for you. With that being said, I’m a big believer in balance… allowing yourself to indulge mindfully without feeling guilty about it later.
How do we indulge mindfully? By slowing. the f*ck. down. Taking smaller bites, chewing your food (like, really chewing your food), putting down your fork in between bites… and breathing. There really is no need to rush. Your food isn’t going anywhere, and it’s not a competition to see who can clean their plate the fastest. Slowing down and giving yourself some time to feel full will keep you from overeating and feeling like sh*t about yourself once the meal has ended, and will help you practice listening to your body in the moment.
2. Take a lap. One of my favorite ways to chill the f*ck out when I’m feeling anxious is stepping outside and going for a walk. Usually I’ll pop my headphones in and listen to music, and I’ll just start walking… sometimes to no where, sometimes around the block or through my neighborhood, for 15 minutes or 2 hours… whatever I feel like I need. There’s just something about being outside, looking up at the sky, and feeling the fresh air on my face that has serious healing powers for me.
If you find yourself caught in a moment or conversation over the holidays with a friend or family member that makes you anxious (the aunt that won’t stop asking why you don’t have a boyfriend/girlfriend, the cousin with seriously offensive political views, or even just old family dynamics that you can’t seem to shake)… politely excuse yourself (or sneak away, I’m not here to judge!) and take a lap to re-center yourself. You’ll come back feeling refreshed, more calm, and with the ability to navigate those tricky conversations with more ease.
3. Practice gratitude… but like, for real. It’s easy to get caught up in the whirlwind that the end of the year creates and forget the true meaning behind these holidays. Regardless of your religion or how you feel about certain holidays, in general, the holiday season is a time to spend quality time with friends and family, in celebration of love and gratitude for the blessings in our lives. We often place too much emphasis on the details and how things “appear” to people on the outside.
If you find yourself freaking out because something isn’t going as planned… you burned the turkey, you’ve been stuck at the airport for 14 hours due to flight delays, you can’t find the “perfect” gift for someone on your list… pause, take a breathe, and find something you can be grateful for now. Even one moment of gratitude for something that seems insignificant can shift your mindset from anxious to grounded and centered, and put things back into perspective for us… even amidst the chaos.
Using these 3 tips over the course of the next few weeks can make a huge difference in how we feel after the holidays, as well. If we’re actively working to manage our anxiety and be mindful of what we’re putting into our bodies during the holidays, we’ll have much less of a “holiday hangover” than we would if we allowed the situations and the food to control us. So, it’s really a win/win!
How do you manage your anxiety around the holidays? What are your go-to tricks? My goal is to create a space for people going through similar things where they feel like they can share, learn and be supported… so please share any insights you have in the comments below!
And I hope you all have a happy, safe, fun, and anxiety-free Thanksgiving!
xo,
Kelsey