Christmas is one of the most stressful times of year – buying presents, getting them wrapped, and planning activities and meals can be surprisingly draining. Here are a few simple tips to help you relax once the holiday season begins.
Breathing exercises
If you are feeling tense, try the following breathing exercise to help reduce tension:
Sit back comfortably, with your arms hanging loosely at your side
Breathe in slowly and deeply, concentrating on the rise and fall of your abdomen rather than your chest
When you reach your limit of breathing in, immediately start to breathe out - without having held your breath - to empty your lungs as much as possible
Get your rhythm right by slowly counting up to three when breathing in and slowly counting up to four when breathing out
Repeat five times without holding your breath in between.
Massage
Treat yourself to a massage, which is excellent for relieving anxiety, tension and stress. Better still, buy your partner a book on massage techniques as a Christmas present, and get them to practise on you. Using an aromatherapy oil will increase the therapeutic effect. Relaxing aromatherapy oils include:
Bergamot
Camomile
Cedarwood
Jasmine
Lavender
Mandarin
Neroli
Petitgrain
Rose
Sandalwood
Vanilla
Vetiver
Ylang ylang
Always dilute before placing on skin - add a maximum total of one drop essential oil to 2mls (24 drops) of carrier oil. Do not use during pregnancy without expert advice.
