Boosting post-holiday energy levels, reduce stress, eat right

The holidays are a great time to see family and friends and enjoy some great food; however, you often overexert yourself and end up drained of energy, tired and stressed out. Some days you might wake up feeling great, while other days, you wake up feeling like the day is over before it even begins. You may have every desire to live a stress and anxiety free life, or have the energy levels of your youth, but you just don’t know where to begin.

Getting your energy levels to peak again requires a lifestyle change. Right now, you might notice that your levels are at their lowest in the mornings, which means stress and anxiety can run rampant straight through your day, and seemingly nothing gets accomplished.

Healthy holiday tips for better energy levels

Below are a few tips that can help you to balance out your life, get your energy up to a more optimum level when it counts (in the morning) and get your life free of stress and anxiety.

Better nourishment for higher energy levels

It is impossible to perform at optimal levels if you aren’t feeling well, and a big part of how you feel overall is proper nutrition. Proper nutrition is considered to be the starting point to getting the stamina of your youth back. Taking the time to put together a list of how you are eating for a week or so will give you some insight into where you need to improve. You might find the problem right away as soon as you look at the week’s list in review. Perhaps you notice your veggie intake is low. Regardless of the particulars, a healthy diet is key to getting your energy levels up, and your stress and anxiety levels down.

Drop the negative attitude for higher energy levels

You might be guiltier of this behavior than you know. You might simply have the wrong attitude. If you find that you are dragging yourself into work, or slugging through the day, watching the clock and waiting for the day to end, you are guilty of having a bad attitude. And a bad attitude can put you in the wrong mindset for an energy filled, low-stress day right from the beginning. The first thing you can do is eliminate the small irritations from your day. Maybe you are perpetuating the problem by putting yourself in an annoying situation.

Maybe you aren’t leaving yourself enough time in the day to do everything that needs to be done. You might find you are contributing to your own stress and anxiety when there are several things you could simply eliminate yourself. Take a look at your schedule and see what you can easily change.

Taking time just for yourself to lower stress

Experts say this is likely one that is most commonly overlooked. Taking a “time out” to spend time alone doing things you like might sound simple, but it’s easier said than done, especially for people who tend to feel ill-at-ease quickly, or feeling like if you have some spare time, it means you should be spending it doing daily errands or chores. In order to reduce stress and increase energy levels, you might have to schedule the time alone, or time to do nothing. But making sure you have it, even for a few minutes or an hour a week is important to give yourself some time to “refresh.”

If you are in denial, or a loved one has told you that you appear either drained of energy or stressed, you might want to consider keeping a journal of your daily activities. This will give you an idea of how you are spending your days. And being aware of how you spend your time is a big part of learning more about how to get more rested and ready to take on not only today, but tomorrow, too.

Tips to keep the ‘Happy’ in your holidays

With the hustle and bustle of the holidays not only is stress a real concern, but depression, anxiety and even the winter blues can rob you of the season’s joy. In order to get the most of the festive season, follow these tips to help put the happy back into your holiday season.

• Drink plenty of water – even being the slightest bit dehydrated can make you feel sluggish.
• Eat well – food can work wonders to boost your mood, so eat healthy and skip the junk.
• Limit caffeine intake as it can make you feel jittery and anxious.
• Get a good night’s sleep.
• Stretch – stretching has been found to be an easy way to boost energy.
• Exercise regularly.
• Relax and calm your emotions.
• Keep a budget – nothing can make you feel worse than finishing the holidays broke.
• Don’t be afraid to ask for help – you can’t possibly do it all on your own, so ask for a helping hand every now and then to lessen the holiday burden.

Don’t let the holidays sap all your energy and leave you feeling stressed and tired. Use the above tips to maintain your health during the hectic holiday season, and remember that exercising regularly and eating a healthy diet go a long way towards feeling good all day long.

Related Reading:

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Is the winter season the cause of your low energy?
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Sources:
http://blog.healthychoicenaturals.com/healthy-holiday-tips-to-help-you-stay-energized/
http://www.yourazhealth.com/mental-health-tips-to-keep-the-happy-in-your-holidays/