Anxiety around Christmas is more common than you think. Sometimes the symptoms are affecting you without you realising. You put it down to the countdown to Christmas (which feels like it starts earlier every year) and the impending stress of the holiday season to come.
But anxiety about Christmas can be down to many things. Perhaps you feel a pressure to perform and to be someone sociable and fun. That is hard if you’re feeling a bit overwhelmed. Or you find dressing up and finding the right outfit stressful. Christmas shopping for an outfit is enough to cause a nervous breakdown! Then there’s the constant stream of events to attend – parties, Christmas dos, meeting up with friends and family. You’re left tired, run down and wanting to retreat away to a hot bath and your PJs.
Even I feel like my batteries are dying around this time. I feel all holier than thou at the moment though because I’ve already booked my online Christmas food shop so I don’t have to do it nearer the time! Although let’s not forget the shops open the very next day, so we don’t really have to have it all sorted anyway!
If reading this makes your head start swimming, what do you think anxiety does to our bodies inside?
I’ve talked before about the effects of stress on the digestive system and stress on your body, but anxiety can wreak havoc too.
“Gut-wrenching” feelings can literally mean gut problems such as diarrhoea, constipation, vomiting, pain and wind discomfort. The brain is connected to the gut in so many ways that even small amounts of ongoing anxiety will play a major part in the health of your digestive system.
So how can we put in steps to deal with anxiety at Christmas and finish the year in one piece, instead of meeting 2019 broken from 2018?
Firstly and most importantly in my mind, would be to tell someone how you’re feeling. Don’t bottle it all up and “cope”.
If life feels like it’s getting on top of you, explain to your close friends/family how you’re feeling. Just the act of saying it aloud can help and you never know, they might be feeling the same! There are many herbal remedies to help the way you’re feeling, such as Bach’s Rescue Remedy, lavender to calm or lemon balm in water to sip through the day, which helps anxiety.
Some digestive health professionals believe that anxiety and depression are even caused BY problems in the gut instead of the other way around. An imbalance of bacteria in the gut leads to imbalances elsewhere in the body. So don’t underestimate how important your gut health is in relation to your mental health. If you find your anxiety is getting worse and your digestive health is plummeting too, then you can always contact me to talk to me about ways I can help you. A good quality probiotic can help add powerful good bacteria to your system, or perhaps you need stool testing to see if there is another underlying problem.
Another small change you can make is to turn off your social media! Comparing yourself to so-called “perfect” friends is enough to turn anyone to gin! Looking at other people’s feeds and wondering why you are finding everything so hard does nothing to help anxiety. And we all know the truth – nothing on social media is real…..so just give yourself a break from it. Take the apps off your phone and if you want to check, log in through the browser. Turn off notifications. Stop following people who make you feel bad about yourself! Take a breather!
Remember, as a parent, a carer, or even a good friend – you can’t give from an empty cup. Sometimes you are the glue that holds things together.
You need to make yourself a priority.
“You-time” – time scheduled for you to get away and relax is crucial in times of stress. It could be a trip to the hairdressers, a massage for an hour, a long bath with a good book, or a Completely You Package here at Complete Health. Whatever floats your boat that helps you unwind and relax – book it in your calendar every week or month. Do something for you instead of running around after everyone else. Your mind will unwind.
So if you’re ready to put steps in place right now to relieve the anxiety of Christmas – why not take advantage of my special Christmas Stress Buster Offer?
Book two 60 minute Completely You Packages at once and get them both for £99 instead of £60 each!
First, I will have a chat with you about how you are feeling and together we can choose two holistic therapy treatments to help. It might be a reflexology treatment, a head massage or a stress relieving body massage – or any of the others. It’s totally personal to you.
Contact me here to book your place – this offer will not be on the website, only through a private enquiry.
(Terms and conditions apply: The package must be paid for in advance. It is for a total of two hours and can be taken as two separate one-hour packages, or all in one go, but must be booked and taken before 31.12.2018)
Remember, you don’t have to “cope”.
2018 has been a tough year for a lot of people, including me – I’m not always so perfect you know! It’s good to talk….to the right people. I have had more support from people that don’t actually know they have given it to me. Sometimes a hug speaks a thousand words.
Put in place time to take care of yourself without feeling guilty. Know that you’re doing the best for your mental health and make 2019 the year you take care of YOU.
