The helpful folks over at Harley Health Centre and the Walk-In Clinic have kindly put together a number of tips and tricks to help you over the stress of the Christmas break.
As a family-run clinic, they know what it’s like when you’re not feeling on top of the weather and you have a family dinner to cook up and excitable kids excitedly waiting for Santa. So what can you do to make sure Christmas stays Stress-Free?
Hug!
Virginia Satir, the mother of modern family therapy, once said that “We need four hugs a day for survival. We need eight hugs a day for maintenance and we need twelve hugs a day for growth.” Hugs are a natural stress reliever and instantly boosts your oxytocin levels which removes feelings of loneliness and angst. Ten seconds of hugging a day can lower your blood sugar!
Tone while you Shop
If you find yourself standing in line, lift one foot about half an inch off the ground. The extra weight on your opposite foot, ankle, calf and thigh, as well as your buttocks, will help you firm and tone muscles. Switch feet every few minutes.
Take 5
Make sure you take 5 minutes to relax and breathe. Taking deep breaths for 3-5 min pumps up your lymphatic system, which is responsible for draining toxins out of your body. It is also a great stress reliever.
Walnut Love
If you’re having trouble sleeping, eat a handful of walnuts before bed. They are full of the amino acid tryptophan — a natural sleep-inducer.
Vitamin D
The sun seems to be hiding away this month – leaving to a lack of Vitamin D in our system. Vitamin D gives your immune system a boost and some studies show is related to handling depression. Make sure you also drink lots of water to counterbalance the fizzy drinks and alcohol, you’ll feel much better in the morning!
Be Grateful
Don’t overstress by trying to create the “perfect Christmas” as you may end up having a mini breakdown. Take a step back and just be thankful for everything you have, and don’t be scared to ask for help! Remember, you’re supposed to be having a good time too!
Harley Health Centre is one of the leading Health Clinics in London. With a vast majority of treatments available from Wellman and Wellwoman to cardiac services. They are also one of the only clinics that do not have an age restriction on patients, meaning even newborns are welcome!
The Walk-In Clinic is Harley Health Centre’s Farringdon Clinic, offering same-day testing and walk-in appointments.
Author: Anna Maria Balint
Anna Maria has been involved in the health industry professionally since 2007. She writes about healthy eating and general healthy lifestyle options.
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“Keep The Stress Away on Christmas Day! | Healthier Matters” was in fact a very good blog post.
However, if it included alot more pics it
might be perhaps even a lot better. All the best -Shonda