For lots of people, the holidays are anything but relaxing.
Even when the shopping, cleaning, and baking is done, there’s still more work to do.
Meals don’t cook themselves, and if people do drop by, they need to be entertained.
But there are a couple of guests, in particular, you can definitely do without…
Stress and anxiety.
And while things get stressful under ordinary circumstances, this year there’s the pandemic to worry about as well.
Thankfully, there’s a simple and practical way to help ease that tension.
It’s called hypnosis for holiday stress and anxiety.
It’ll ensure that the holidays don’t turn into a holi-daze.
Using hypnosis, you can stop the stress and anxiety from building up in the first place.
All it takes is a little careful planning and the motivation to see it through.
But before looking at the power of hypnosis in managing those holiday blues, what causes them in the first place?
Holiday Stress And Anxiety: What It Is And What Causes It
Why is it that the holidays can be so stressful?
It’s ironic they’re called “holidays” when they can bring so much trepidation and apprehension.
Part of the stress is caused by your own expectations. You want everything to be perfect for your family and friends.
You might feel a bit of pressure to make sure things go as well as they did in previous years.
Or you might be worried about being shown up in front of your loved ones.
So you feel like every meal has to be an award-winning dish. Or every present has to be professionally wrapped to perfection.
If on top of that you’re struggling with a type of anxiety disorder, then your stress levels are going to go through the roof.
So what can you do?
One way of getting help would be using hypnosis for holiday stress and anxiety.
But how do you know if you really do need help?
If you’ve got the holiday blues, what signs should you look out for?
Symptoms Of Holiday Stress And Anxiety
The truth is, even if you’ve got everything under control, you still might be feeling anxious or depressed.
An article at verywellmind.com lists some of the symptoms of the holiday blues, which include:
- Trouble concentrating
- Feeling fatigued or exhausted
- Feeling irritable or angry
- Feeling lonely
- Feeling disinterested in activities you normally enjoy
- Disturbed sleep patterns
- Wanting to withdraw from other people
- Having trouble making decisions
These symptoms can lead people to unhealthy coping mechanisms such as eating, drinking or sleeping too much.
Unfortunately, these types of actions can actually make the symptoms worse.
On the plus side, these symptoms are usually short-term. One of the best ways to cope with them is to talk to someone such as a doctor or health professional.
Alternatively, why not tap into the power of hypnosis for holiday stress and anxiety?
Hypnosis For Holiday Stress And Anxiety: Handling Holiday Blues
It’s no secret that hypnosis is a highly effective technique for managing stress and anxiety.
That’s what makes it the ideal weapon to send those holiday blues packing.
One of the reasons people get so stressed is because there’s too much going on in their heads. They’re thinking about all the things they need to do and can find it impossible to switch off.
In other words, their conscious mind is overwhelmed with information.
When that happens, it’s difficult to sort everything out. One superb way of doing it is to “tune out” from the conscious mind and tap into the unconscious mind.
That’s exactly what happens during hypnosis. It lets you relax and zone out from the everyday conscious world, letting you focus your thoughts inward.
Once you’re relaxed enough, the hypnotherapist will enable you to identify any problems you’re having and help you find solutions.
What’s really cool about hypnosis is that these solutions come from inside you. They’re inner resources that you already have but are perhaps unable to access on your own.
The other amazing thing about hypnosis is that you don’t have to be in the same room as the hypnotherapist for it to work.
It’s just as effective when done online (i.e. telemedicine) as it is in a face-to-face office type environment. And that could be good news for the upcoming holidays when much of the world is still in the grips of the COVID-19 outbreak.
Not only that, but you can even practice hypnosis on yourself, using self-hypnosis.
Feel yourself getting too stressed? Need to take some time out to recharge your batteries? Then self-hypnosis is the perfect tool.
It’s easy to master, a lot like meditation. All you need is a quiet space where you can relax.
Think about what you want to achieve, and visualize yourself achieving it.
That might be an oversimplification, but the truth is that you already know how to hypnotize yourself.
You’ve probably done it hundreds of times but just weren’t aware of it.
Like when you were driving and your mind wandered so when you arrived at your destination you were unable to remember part of the journey.
Or when you were reading a book and your thoughts drifted off so you were no longer paying attention to the story.
In those instances, your conscious mind shuts off. You stop overthinking and analyzing everything and go to an inner and more peaceful place.
To find out how you can hypnotize yourself, or teach someone self-hypnosis, check out this detailed Hypnosis Training Academy article and infographic on How To Hypnotize Yourself: Discover The Easy 6-Step Self Hypnosis Formula. It will provide you a step-by-step guide to induce self-hypnosis effectively.
According to Mayo Clinic, you need to think ahead. It’s too late to do anything when you’re already stressed out, so you need to do something to stop it from happening in the first place.
Here’s a summary of the clinic’s 10 tips for staying stress-free:
Express your feelings
You don’t have to be bubbly and happy just because it’s the holidays. If there’s sadness in your life, acknowledge it and move on.
Connect with others
If you’re feeling lonely or isolated, talk to a friend. Reach out to organizations in your community or, if COVID prevents that, try looking online. Send a text, make a phone call or video chat to touch base with loved ones so you don’t feel alone and neglected.
Forget perfection
There’s no such thing. Just do your best and realize that everyone else is doing the same.
Be accepting
Put aside any grievances and take people as they are. Remember that they might be feeling just as distressed and frustrated as you are.
Spend wisely
Make a budget and stick to it. Overspending for the sake of it will only give you another thing to worry about and will increase your stress levels in the long run.
Plan everything
Make lists of the things you need to buy, to bake, to clean, to wrap, and so on. Set aside days for doing chores and then tick them off. Get help where you can to take some of the pressure off yourself.
Say no
Don’t get involved in every possible activity when you know you have too many other things to do. Just saying yes to be polite will leave you feeling resentful and could lead to being overwhelmed.
Stay healthy
Try to eat well, get plenty of sleep, and try not to overindulge. The holidays can be times of excess, but excess can create guilt and even more stress.
Make “me” time
Take a walk, read a book, or soak in the bath while you listen to your favorite music. A few minutes alone doing something you enjoy will be refreshing, give you a much-needed break, and help to clear your head.
Seek help
If nothing makes you feel better, try to talk to your doctor or a health professional. If you need help, ask for it. That’s always the first step toward getting better.
7 Extra Tips That Can Help People Manage Holiday Stress
An article on the WebMD site lists 19 tips for coping with holiday stress and anxiety. Here are seven of the best:
Writing on the Psychology Today website, author Scott Neumyer shares several techniques he’s learned to ease his anxiety during what can be a highly stressful time of year:
- Stick to your daily routine – this helps keep things as normal as possible
- Prepare yourself to be anxious – it’s going to happen, so bed ready for it
- Focus on what matters – consider the needs of your family and loved ones and focus on what brings you joy
When things are getting too much to deal with, it helps to remind yourself that you’re surrounded by people who love you.
Hypnosis For Holiday Stress: Be Merry And Trance On!
The holidays can be an amazing and wonderful time, but they can also be stressful and full of anxiety.
It can be tricky to balance the demands placed on you, from the shopping and housework to entertaining guests and cooking one meal after another.
It’s probably not physically possible to do everything, and if your expectations are too high you might be setting yourself up for failure.
And what about time for yourself? It’s supposed to be a holiday! It’s only a couple of days, after all.
There are lots of different tips and techniques you can use to keep yourself from becoming overwhelmed. Some are as simple as taking some time out, planning everything carefully, or delegating tasks so you’re not doing it all yourself.
Another great way to beat holiday stress and anxiety involves using self-hypnosis. It’s a lot easier than you think, and the other great thing about it is that you can use it any time, as often as you want.
And if it helps you enjoy the holidays and keep your stress at manageable levels, then it’s definitely got to be worth a try.