The holidays are fast approaching, a joyful time to celebrate with family and friends, but also a season that can bring added stress and physical strain. Preparing with osteopathy before the holidays can help you stay balanced, relaxed, and ready to fully enjoy the season.
In this article, we’ll discuss the various ways osteopathy helps balance your mind and body to find holiday stress relief.
Impacts of the holiday season on your body
How full is your holiday calendar? Do you have a myriad of extra obligations to fulfill? The holiday season is full of shopping, cooking, social commitments, and sometimes travel. They can manifest physically in your body.
When overwhelmed during the holiday season, many people get
- Headaches or migraines
- Sore feet and back (from long periods of standing, shopping, or decorating)
- Sore jaw (from clenching jaw in response to financial pressure or family dynamics)
- Fatigued (from late-night parties and over-commitment to social gatherings)
- Weakened immune system (from stress, and the cold and flu season)
Thankfully, osteopathy can help you find physical and mental stress relief.
Stress relief through osteopathy
Emotional stress can wreak havoc on your nervous system. Stress activates your “fight or flight” response, which can increase your blood pressure, heart rate, and release stress hormones (epinephrine and cortisol).
Osteopathy before the holidays can help you manage stress through:
Breathing Techniques
Stress can hinder free oxygen flow in your body because you’re not breathing fully and deeply. This lack of oxygen can lead to hyperventilation, shortness of breath, and chest tightness.
Your osteopath can help you practice calming breathing techniques. These are techniques you can do anytime you’re feeling stressed or overwhelmed to help bring your mind back into alignment.
Massage
Massage can help increase circulation in your body and relax tense muscles and tendons. It can also help calm your mind. A massage session can include calming music and aromatherapy to help you achieve a deeper state of relaxation, making it perfect for unwinding before, during, and after the holiday season.
Exercises
Exercise helps increase blood flow throughout the body and can play a significant role in reducing stress. It’s an accessible activity that serves as an excellent alternative to other unhealthy stress-coping techniques, such as unhealthy eating. Your osteopath can recommend activities that help you release stress, tailored to your ability and fitness level.
Lifestyle modifications
Healthy, daily habits can also help you better manage your health and stress. Your osteopath can recommend and help you include healthy lifestyle changes now, so they’re well-established in your daily life before the busy holiday season.
They may recommend the following healthy habits for stress management:
- Eating healthy, whole foods (avoid deep-fried and processed foods)
- Regular exercise
- Focus on positive, healthy relationships
- Self-care
- Avoiding smoking and alcohol
- Practicing mindfulness activities (such as yoga, journaling, and positive self-talk)
Improving your mobility before the holidays
How much time do you spend on your feet over the holidays? Maybe you’re shopping for holiday gifts, standing for long periods of time while you decorate your home, or standing all evening at holiday cocktail parties. Good mobility and circulation can help you avoid injury and aches and pains.
Through gentle osteopathic techniques, your osteopath can help you increase mobility, flexibility, and range of motion. They can ensure your musculoskeletal system is in alignment and provide tips for safely doing typical holiday activities (like shopping, lifting, bending, and standing on your feet).
Boosting overall wellness and resilience
With your busy holiday schedule, it would be a shame to cancel social gatherings you were looking forward to because you’re sick. Osteopathy can help boost your immunity to avoid catching holiday colds.
Osteopathic techniques can help you sleep better at night and increase your energy levels during the day. Getting enough, good-quality sleep is important to staying healthy and giving your body a fighting chance against colds and the flu.
Ask your osteopath about how they can help you boost your overall wellness and resilience ahead of the holiday season.
Now is the time to see your osteopath
Taking a proactive approach to your health and wellness for the holidays starts now. Give your body time to adjust to new, healthier routines. You can learn and practice stress-coping techniques to discover which ones work best for you, before you really need them in December.
If you’re prone to the effects of holiday stress, be proactive and avoid over-scheduling or overcommitting. It’s okay to say no to some invitations or postpone small gatherings until after the holidays to give yourself some breathing room.
Remember, osteopathy is effective as preventative care, not just a reactive practice. Your osteopath can help prepare your mind and body for holiday pressures, minimizing the negative effects of stress on your mind and body.
Integrating osteopathy into holiday prep
I suggest scheduling your next osteopathy appointment between now and late November. In addition to your regular appointments, your osteopath will recommend simple, at-home practices including hydration, healthy eating, stretches, and mindfulness. Make these healthy living practices part of your everyday routines, even after the holiday season, to boost your health and wellness longer term.
Osteopathy is a unique practice in that its effects are both proactive and reactive. We suggest a proactive approach to help minimize the severity and long-term consequences of physical and mental aches and pains during the holiday season. Make time for self-care during the holiday season to help reground yourself and better manage holiday stress.
Ready to get started on your holiday health and wellness? Book at Thuja Wellness and let me know your concerns about your health over the holidays, and I’ll work with you to meet your wellness goals.
