Although the holidays are meant to be a joyous time spent with friends and family, all of the hustle and bustle can sometimes bring about unexpected anxiety and stress. If you find yourself feeling this way, no worries! Here are a few of the Inspired Health team’s favorite quick tips to get some R&R now. Whether you’re at work or home, these six easy tips will leave you feeling relaxed and peaceful in a minute or less.

Stop and Breathe!

Options:

  • Just sit down, and take 4 deeeeeep belly breaths – Easy!
  • Inhale 4 counts, Hold 4 counts, Exhale 4 counts – Repeat for 1 minute
  • Inhale, internally saying “I”: Exhale, internally saying “Am” – I am. I am. I am.

Step Outside

Walk away from your desk, computer, phone and walk outside (again, without your phone). Look up, look around, walk around, and inhale some fresh air.

Guided Imagery

Have you heard the saying that – anxiety is a waste of your precious imagination!

Ditch your worries and imagine you are laying down on a warm sunny beach, and feel the sunshine on your face and skin while the waves peacefully roll in and out.

Guided imagery is a powerful meditation tool that can give you a temporary escape from everyday worries and stresses. Invite all your senses to participate: imagine what you see, hear, and smell in this peaceful place.

Move Quick – Stop a Panic Attack in 60 seconds!

Quick paced movement – like sprinting down the street, push-ups and jumping jacks – can release endorphins quickly and minimize the panic.

Yummy Smells

Ever noticed how certain smells can tap into memories immediately? The olfactory (sense of smell) center of the brain resides in the same area that our memories live!

Breathe in Essential Oils – Lavender, Wild Orange, Lemon, Bergamot, and/or Peppermint (or if there is a special oil you love).

Put a few drops of oil on our hands, rub your hands vigorously and breathe in!
You can also rub a few drops through your hair to continue the yumminess throughout the day!

Another way to infuse your day with relaxing smells is to use an Essential Oil Diffuser.

Self Affirmations + Mantra

Back before there were psychiatrists and therapists to prescribe Prozac and Xanax, people were using mantras to calm their nervous systems. Rewire your thinking by repeating simple phrases, and enjoy a more peaceful mind.

You can always create your own mantra, self-affirmation!

Here are some of our favorites:

  • This too shall pass.
  • There is no emergency.
  • All of my needs are met.
  • I release what I can not change.
  • I am grateful.
  • I trust myself to handle anything that comes my way, with grace.

Use self-care rituals to bring calm to your day

Running from party to party, making communal meals and grabbing last-minute gifts, the holiday season certainly gets us out of our usual routines, and often, we unintentionally end up neglecting our usual daily rituals that make us feel good. Before you feel stressed, make sure that you have these practices in place!

We are firm believers that if it doesn’t exist on your calendar, it doesn’t exist!

  1. Schedule your Exercise – and don’t cancel on yourself!
  2. Schedule “white space” – plug-in and block off  time to do nothing, to take a break, to rest
  3. Set the Relaxation Scene – light a candle, burn incense, turn on relaxing music, dim the lights, turn on the fireplace 🙂
  4. Epsom Salt Bath – 1-2 cups of Epsom salts,  a few drops of your favorite essential oils in the tub, and light a candle.
  5. Get cozy – put on comfy clothes, snuggle up and have a cup of tea!
  6. Relaxing herbal teas – These teas are all “nervines” that help calm your nervous system: Chamomile, Lavender, Passiflora, Skullcap, and Kava.

Extra Support !!

Remember, Nutrition, Sleep, Exercise, and Meditation is always your best medicine!

  • Anxiety + Sleep Support
    • MaxRelax:  Aims to promote a calm, relaxed, well-balanced emotional and physiological state.  This is one of the favorites to help your brain relax!
    • Kavinace:  Effectively address symptoms of stress, anxiousness, and sleep issues (insomnia).  If you struggle with insomnia- this is a MUST to try! (Non-habitual and safe)
    • Lavela:  Indicated for anxiety! Lavela WS 1265 has been shown to promote relaxation and calm nervousness with safety and efficacy.  This was demonstrated in a controlled trial published in peer-reviewed medical journals comparing Lavela with benzodiazepines.  Lavela did just as well if not better than the benzos!
    • L-Theanine: This is an amino acid that helps promote a restful, relaxed state without diminishing daytime alertness. This can also be used for sleep.
  • Energy + Stress Management Support
    • Adaptocrine: supports the body when under stress or feeling energetically spent. This product is designed to support both physical and mental functionality through the use of carefully selected phytonutrients and plant enzymes.  We have been using this supplement for years with great success.
    • The Basics for Optimal Health: Multivitamin, Omega 3s, Vitamin D, Magnesium, Probiotics
    • The “Basics for Optimal Health” are part of your foundation to feeling vibrant, and preventing the adverse effects of stress!


Be Inspired!
Dr. Dishman + Dr. Weintrob 

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