With all the stressful experiences you’ve had in the past, you must know it’s virtually impossible to live life without stress, depression, and anxiety.
As the holiday season is approaching, parents like you will have a harder time because of stress. If you have been a parent long enough, you know how tough it is during the holidays. And if you’re a first-time mom or dad or an inexperienced parent, you ought to ask your parents to share their experiences and learn from the past.
If you are still at a loss on how to cope with these mental challenges and how to handle and overcome stress during the holidays, here is a guide to help you stem the tide.
Make a Plan
It is easy to feel a lot of stress and anxiety if you are constantly in the dark, thinking of what to do next. It is hard if you are unable to make plans on how to spend the holidays. This can cause pressure and strain on your finances while hindering you from having fun and enjoying the season with loved ones.
That is why as early as August, experts recommend you already make your arrangements and even lists, on how you can best prepare to spend the holidays with the rest of the family.
Exercise Often
It is easy to neglect things that are good for your health, especially exercise. Working out has a lot of benefits for the busy parent trying to cope with the challenges of stress during the holidays. Regular exercise can help people feel better as the body is producing feel-good chemicals like serotonin and dopamine. 
Regular exercise can also help people with high levels of cortisol which is often coupled with elevated blood pressure. You can start with a simple 30-minute walk. There is no need to have some fancy equipment around when you are trying to make yourself more active in order to push those blues away.
Eat Healthy Food
Diet is an important component parents need to cope with the challenges of stress and anxiety symptoms. It is best to avoid sugars as it can cause spikes in the blood sugar levels. Nutrition experts recommend more complex carbohydrates in the diet. 
These are released slowly into the bloodstream and should not cause any spikes that may translate into inflammation, causing pressure, tension and ultimately stress. Stressed people often binge in comfort eating with fatty and sugary treats.
It is best to eat more fruits and vegetables to help the body produce a greater amount of feel-good chemicals. This will also shield the body from free radicals that can cause a lot of damage.
Get Some Touch
Touch therapy is one of the great remedies for anxiety and stress. It has been observed that touch can push the production of oxytocin.
Oxytocin hormones can help people feel better. That is why a massage is great for reducing stress during the holidays to calm the nerves and induce relaxation.
Do Yoga
Yoga is another natural way of keeping the body shielded from the nasty effects of stress and anxiety. Those stretching exercises together with mindful focus can help the body and the mind get some relief.
You need not enroll in a yoga class. You can watch some videos on the Internet or rent them. The basic postures will do wonders when you are trying to battle the effects of stress. Besides, yoga is known to be a good anti-aging agent.
Go Social
When you are totally depressed, it is best to reach out to family and friends. Often people who have no one to turn to are the hardest hit with depression. Having some friends over would not hurt during the holidays where it is a time of bonding among family and friends.
The holidays can be a drag. It is important not to allow the stress to get the best of you. Eating, exercising, and mindful meditation are just some of the ways to help you beat the holiday blues.
Of course, it would not hurt to have a loved one by your side during these best moments. For additional support during the holidays, consider BetterHelp online counseling.
Here’s how to deal with difficult personalities during the holidays.
