02 Dec Don’t let this Christmas get on your Nerves!

Don’t let this Christmas get on your Nerves!

Its December – here we are in the run up to Christmas again and what a year it has been!

So many people have already put up their Christmas trees and decorations and why not? It has been such a tough year, we are all at home more than usual and we may as well cheer ourselves up by getting festive.

Christmas is Stressful

Christmas is also a stressful time of year even when we are not in a global pandemic.  We all have busy lives and at this time of year, we often have more on our plate than usual. There are presents to be organised, food that needs to be purchased, family politics to navigate and if you have young children, they might have nativity costumes that need to be organised or school-work that needs to be completed before the end of term. Add all of the above into an already uncertain time with the changing Covid 19 restrictions, and you have created a perfect storm for stress and overwhelm.

Stress can lead to Headaches

When stress and pressure build up over time, you get tense and one of the first places we see this build-up of tension is in the neck. Tension in the neck causes it to get misaligned and the nerves that give feeling to the upper part of your head are in the neck.  When your neck is not functioning well, one of the first symptoms we see is a headache – this is a very common warning sign that you are stressed! Chiropractic adjustments are very effective in helping with headaches as they help to take the tension out of the neck and take the pressure off the nerves.

Top 5 tips for managing your stress levels this Christmas!

Of course we understand that it is not realistic to suggest that you remove all sources of stress to avoid tension and headaches – particularly not this year and not at Christmas time! Instead, we have put together our top 5 tips for how to get the most out of this Christmas without letting it get on your nerves:

• Get adjusted!

Adjustments help you better deal with life’s stresses by keeping your spine and nervous system in balance. Make sure you schedule your Christmas check up so that you are ready for the lead up to the festivities ahead.

• “Me Time”

Make it a priority to set aside some time for yourself to go and do something that will bring you joy. It could be a walk, watching a film that you love, reading a book, having a soak in the bath. Taking time to slow down and do something that is just for you will help you to de-stress.

• Get out on a Christmas walk

Exercise is a great way of taking care of yourself and ensuring that you have more energy. We are designed to be active and if you sit at a desk all day, then it is even more important that you set aside time to get some exercise to nourish your body. Exercising outdoors and taking a moment to appreciate the wonder of nature is also great for positivity and de-stressing overall.

• Share the load

If you are feeling stressed and overwhelmed, take some time to sit down and write down everything that is on your mind and making you feel stressed. Often, just the act of getting it all down on paper helps to calm the mind. Once you have it all written down, start looking at how you can delegate some of the things out to family members, friends or professionals who can help take the load off your shoulders.

• Spend time with loved ones

If you have not been able to spend time with loved ones this year and this has been affecting you, try to use this time over the festive period to re-connect with them. If you aren’t able to see people in person, even a Christmas catchup on Facetime or Zoom can really help. We’ve all been through a lot this year and sharing our experiences of how we’ve coped and how hard it has been can really help lift our mood.

In a normal year, we would have been able to have a drink with you at our Practice Member Appreciation Party. This year has been far from normal but we will raise a virtual glass to you instead and hope to see you for your Christmas adjustment.