Relieving stress any time of the year is worth the effort.

But during the holidays, with the extra rush, hurry, and expectations, reducing stress is even more important.

Statistically speaking, people are more likely to feel their stress increase rather than decrease during the holidays. Let’s change that.



​Here are 10 Intentional Ideas to Reduce Holiday Stress:

1. Don’t expect (or even pursue) perfection.

There is no such thing as perfect: the perfect tree, the perfect outdoor decoration, the perfect play, the perfect dinner, the perfect gift, the perfect Christmas morning, etc. They do not exist.

If you want to remove holiday stress, remove the pursuit of perfect and replace it with “my best effort.”

2. Don’t overspend your means.

77% of us expect to exceed our holiday budget this year (and only 37% will put a post-holiday budget plan in place to recover). Overspending your budget adds stress during the holiday and after—a double dose. Say no to holiday overspending. Choose to spend within your means instead.

3. Set boundaries if necessary, in relationships.

Relationships can be difficult and unhealthy family relationships can be extra strained during the holiday season. There are times, certainly, when it’s best to stay away entirely. But often times, families want to be together during the holidays.

If the idea of spending time with family causes stress in your life, make decisions about setting healthy boundaries. Here are some thoughts on how to do that.

4. Set healthy expectations for your kids.

“Maybe you’ll get it for Christmas” are some of the most dangerous words we can use during this season with our children. It sets an unhealthy expectation that the number of gifts under the tree will be limitless. But we all know that’s not going to be the case. And when it comes time to open the presents, our anxiety level is through the roof.

Instead, be sure to set reasonable expectations throughout the season.

5. Appreciate the simple and free.

Holidays don’t have to be expensive, rushed, and stressful. One important key to accomplishing this reality is to appreciate and find joy in the simple and free. Keep your tastes simple and enjoy the magical moments.

There is as much joy to be found in a conversation with your grandparent, a quiet snowfall, or baking cookies with your kids as you can find flying halfway around the world to a beach in the Caribbean or spending thousands of dollars on gifts.

Enjoy the simple and you’ll never run out of joy—because your holiday season is full of moments to enjoy.

6. Embrace a ‘less is more’ mentality.

In almost every case, less is more if you begin to see it.

You don’t need to spend days decorating the home with countless Christmas decorations when one box of meaningful decorations would suffice. You don’t need to make commitments every night of the week when a few strategic outings will fill your calendar enough. And you don’t need an entire tree stuffed with presents when a few thought-out gifts will be more appreciated anyway.

If you want to reduce stress during the holiday seasons, notice how less is more. And then embrace it fully.

7. Reflect on the positives often and regularly.

Stress increases when our attention is fixated on our problems or worries. Of course, life is never perfect and some problems/issues tend to be extra highlighted during the holiday season.

To counteract this, it is wise to be intentional and consistent with reflecting on the positives.

Maybe your extended family relationships aren’t perfect, but they are still better than other families. Maybe you didn’t get every gift you wanted for Christmas, but you certainly got some good ones. Or maybe your travel plans weren’t pulled off flawlessly, but at least you arrived at your destination.

Keep your attention on the positives in all situations.

8. Hire some help.

While not available for everyone, hiring some extra help during the holiday seasons is a great way to reduce some stress. Hire the neighbor boy to shovel your driveway throughout December, or hire the housekeeper to do some cleaning before your family arrives. Even if you’re not incredibly wealthy, it might be worth looking into your local pricing for such options. They might be more affordable than you think.

And since buying time is one of the three ways to spend money on happiness, it might just be worth the investment.

9. Don’t cross the same bridge twice.

There’s an old saying that goes like this, “We’ll cross that bridge when we get to it.”

The point of the saying is this: Don’t worry about a situation until that situation is actually in front of you. When you get to the bridge, cross it. You can’t cross it before you arrive at it anyway.

One reason the holidays can become stressful for us is we begin worrying about all the countless unhealthy and unhappy circumstances we might encounter. We worry about family, or travel, or plans, or the meal, etc. But worrying about a problem that may or may not arise in the future requires you to cross the bridge twice—once before it arrives and once when it arrives.

Determine this holiday season to not cross the bridge twice. Don’t let worry get the best of you. Rather than wasting energy imagining countless unenjoyable circumstances, decide to wait to see if they even arise. When they do, cross the bridge once—rather than twice.

10. Practice moderation.

Moderation, in so many ways, is the key to reducing stress during the holidays. Moderation in your diet, spending, commitments, alcohol, responsibilities, etc. From A to Z, embrace moderation throughout the holiday season. You’ll be glad you did—and so will everyone else.

A less stressed holiday season? Sounds lovely. And totally possible. - From Joshua Becker

​There are no true roadblocks to traveling with fibromyalgia it's not unsafe and you shouldn't feel excluded from vacationing when you have the condition, says board-certified rheumatologist Marcia Genta, MD, of the Dallas Arthritis Center and the Methodist Dallas Medical Center.

What's tiring for most people on a vacation though can be downright exhausting for someone with fibromyalgia. Why? Dealing with traffic, long lines at the airport, security checks, and getting around in a place you don't know is stressful, and stress can increase the pain of fibromyalgia.
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Traveling is also physically draining. Carrying around luggage, especially lifting bags into overhead compartments, can lead to injury. Long days of sightseeing without enough rest can also make fibromyalgia symptoms worse.

To enjoy a vacation, take these steps to lessen the impact travel can have on your fibromyalgia.

• Seek out the sunshine. Cold and damp weather has been known to make fibromyalgia pain worse. Summer travel might be a better option than winter.
• Avoid planning trips to arduous terrains. Your destination should be a place that you're interested in visiting, but use common sense when making your plans. "Trekking in high mountains or rafting down rapids, where plenty of repeated traumas are likely to occur, should be avoided," advises Dr. Genta.
• Book a reservation with a modern hotel. A newer hotel with elevators will be easier to navigate than a charming historic hotel that has narrow stairs, Genta says. Even people who are athletic may have trouble carrying luggage up narrow passageways.
• Pack smart. Just as everyone should, try to pack only what you need to avoid having to lug a heavy suitcase. Comfortable walking shoes are a must, Genta adds. And be sure to pack your medication in a carry-on bag (not your checked bag, as it could get delayed or lost).
• Move as much as possible in the plane or car. "A long airplane trip is trying for everyone," Genta says. Moving and stretching in the cabin to avoid stiffness is especially important for people with fibromyalgia. Genta suggests checking in-flight magazines for stretching techniques you can do during your flight. If you're traveling by car, stop as often as needed to stretch.
• Get help with luggage. Always ask flight attendants with help getting a bag into an overhead compartment on an airplane, Genta says. Since picking up a heavy bag from the conveyor belt at baggage claim requires movement that can cause injury, she says, hire a porter to carry your luggage.
• Follow a leisurely itinerary. Although you may want to see as much as you can, don't try packing too many museums or cathedrals into your sightseeing plans in any one day. A stop at a sidewalk café watching the crowds is often more informative (and fun) than a lecture about the place you're visiting, says Genta.

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After an enjoyable vacation, what's the protocol for getting back to everyday life? You'll probably struggle a bit to get back into your daily routine, just as everyone does, Genta says. If you've thought out your travel plans ahead of time and you didn't overdo activity while you were away, you shouldn't need a vacation from your vacation.

I was touched from the book The Coconut Oil Miracle with the following story.  It makes one ponder if the resolute desire to leave our health in the medical field is our true sole option.  Furthermore, this story brought me back 20 years ago when I sat beside my first husband's hospital bed as he fought to relinquish the pain of his peptic ulcer.  As he writhed uncomfortably, the doctor informed us that the only means of reducing another flare up would be a low stress lifestyle and proper diet.  Many years later, science discovered the H. Pylori bacteria that can be quickly eradicated with a round of antibiotics.

How quickly science can change its opinion.  I say opinion because we are under the tent of the world of experimental philosophies that can change day to day.  I know I once lived without fibromyalgia, and I often feel I can live this way again.  I have no doubt that my myriad of symptoms rests mainly in my nervous system, but I can't help to wonder if some germ, some bacteria, some virus has inhabited my well-being to shake me off course.  After all, we all harbor millions of unwelcomed microscopic visitors, and it takes only a mere breech in our immune system to set the troops wondering and multiplying.  Hence, keeping our immune system in top order may diminish many of the pain altering flareups encountered each day.


In September 1996, AIDS patient Chris Dafoe of Cloverdale, Indiana, figured his time was running out. He'd lost a great deal of weight, lacked energy, and felt worse and worse with each passing day.  The thing that drove the nail into his coffin was the lab results.  The report showed he had a viral load of over 600,000 - an indication of rampant HIV infection and a sign that he didn't have too much time left to live.   So he made arrangements for his funeral, paying all expenses up front.  Before he died, however, and while he still had some strength left, he wanted to take one last vacation - a dream vacation to the jungles of South America.  He flew to the tiny Republic of Surinam and wound his way into the jungle, where he stayed briefly among a group of Indians.  While there, he ate the same foods as the natives.  Each day he was served a dish of cooked coconut prepared by the natives.


"The Indian Chief told me, " says Dafoe, "that they use coconut as the basis for all their medicines.  They also use the milk from the inside of the coconut and also use other plants and herbs from the jungle to make medicines.  They eat cooked coconut every morning to prevent illness." While there, Dafoe's health took a turn for the better, his strength and energy increased, and he regained 32 pounds.  Home again, six weeks later he went in for another lab test.  This time the results showed his viral load and plummeted to undetectable levels.  The HIV virus that once flooded his body was no longer measurable.  


He continues eating cooked coconut for breakfast each day, mixing it with hot cereal.  He is convinced that it keeps the virus under control and allows him to enjoy good health.  With a zest for life he says, "I feel great.  I have more energy than ever." - The Coconut Oil Miracle by Bruce Fife.


How to Cook Coconut


Position a shelf in the middle of the oven and preheat it to 350 degrees F. Pierce one of the three soft eyes at the top of the shell with the tip of a screw driver or an ice pick, hitting hard on the end of its handle with a hammer. Immediately drain off the juice in a container, if saving. Strain it to remove any flecks of shell. 

Place the coconut on the middle rack in the oven and bake it until it cracks, about 10 to 15 minutes. Remove the coconut with hot mitts and let it cool slightly. Remove the shell--it will come off easily. 

Peel the brown husk from the coconut meat with a vegetable peeler, and chop the coconut meat into uniform pieces. Use your food processor or a hand grater to shred or grate the coconut. 

Did you know that 1 medium coconut, weighing a pound or so, yields 3 cups of shredded coconut? 

To make fresh coconut flakes: Using a small, sturdy knife, pry out the coconut meat from the shell. It will come out in pieces, but try to keep them as large as possible. Using a swivel vegetable peeler, peel the outer brown part from the coconut meat. Then, shred it with a cheese grater (rotary or standing) or a food processor fitted with the fine shredding blade. 

Coconut Oil

Recommended dosage of coconut oil 3 tablespoons daily.  Best not to ingest it all in one sitting.


 

There's no doubt keeping relaxation in check will benefit your overall well being.  This works double fold for individuals who suffer from fibromyalgia.  A simple stress inducer like a lost grocery list can wreak havoc on unsuspecting fibro victims causing waves of pain that can last for a few minutes to many hours. Practicing relaxation techniques on a daily basis can subdue those flare-ups overall.  

Research at Harvard has shown that mindful meditation significantly reduces pain in fibromyalgia.  Mindful meditation involves focusing on your breathing to help you concentrate on being in the NOW.  By doing so, it distracts you from any discomfort you are feeling.  It encourages you to breathe slowly and deeply. Many experts believe that inaccurate breathing, like slow shallow breaths or short quick breaths, contributes to a whole range of health problems including poor concentration, fatigue, and disrupted sleep patters.  

Try these easy relaxation techniques

Simple mindful meditation:

1.  Close your eyes and focus on your breathing.
2.  As you inhale slowly and deeply through your nose, expand your stomach and hold for the count of 3.
3.  Exhale slowly, drawing in your stomach.
4.  Whenever your attention lingers on your pain or other thoughts bring it back to your breathing.  

Color visualization:  

1.  Think of a color that suggest good health.  I prefer green.
2. Now think of a color that represents pain in you.  I prefer red.
3.  Begin the breathing steps listed previously.
4.  On each inhalation imagine you are breathing in green and it is filling your body.
5.  On each exhalation imagine you are breathing out red ridding you body of pain.

Self-hypnosis:

Self-hypnosis means you picture yourself as you want to be or feel you should be.  Using affirmations, or mantras, helps you to reinforce the image.  An affirmation is a positive statement that describes, in the present tense, an idea so your subconscious mind will accept it as reality.  Examples include 'My body feels no pain and has energy' or 'my muscles are so relaxed'.

1.  Breathe in and out deeply as in Simple Mindful Meditation.
2.  Now imagine yourself as you would like to be.  Get a good picture doing something you enjoy carefree.
3.  Repeat your own affirmation with each out breath such as 'My body is pain free'.

Relax your muscles

Muscles always hurt in fibromyalgia.  There is rarely a minute or an hour that goes completely pain free. Ask a fibro suffer and he or she will tell you a pain scale of 4-10 on any given moment.  And when you are hurting your natural reaction is to tense muscles up which leads to more pain.  Learning to relax your muscles can break this cycle.  

1.  Breath in and out slowly as in Simple Mindful Meditation.
2. Now focus on the muscle that is impacting your well being the most.  Scan your body from you head to your toes.  Breathe in and out just taking note of how those specific muscles feel.  Acknowledge them and accept them.  Focus on that spot, focusing on your breathing and just BE.  Your muscles will naturally unwind and happier thoughts will fill your mind.  Continue to the next painful spot as muscles relax.

With spring almost here, place on your to do list the sheer delight of getting closer to nature.  Bat out those winter cobwebs and ensure your daily game plan gets a little R&R on the nature trail.  Researchers at Essex University say that ecotherapy (engaging with nature) offers both mental and physical health benefits. Whether you are walking, gardening, or just enjoying the view, being close to nature has been shown to reduce stress and muscle tension.

Experts claim that the higher levels of negative ions near areas of running water, trees, and mountains may play a part of one huge stress and pain buster.  Others suggest that the success of ecotherapy is down to biophilia (the theory that we all have an inborn affinity with nature).  Furthermore, when we disconnect from it we are plagued with stress and mental health problems.  Studies in the Netherlands and Japan suggest that people living in or near green areas enjoy longer and healthier lives than those living in urban environments.

Have you ever noticed that even on a bad day if you stay inside confined, you don't feel much better? That's why it is so important to get out even a few minutes a day and commune with nature.  It does the soul good and offers great therapy and pain relief for the body.

Remember to tailor your activity levels as to how well you are feeling.  On a good day engage in a good walk.  On a bad day sitting a half an hour in the sun may do the trick.  Either way, it's important to get out! 

Many researchers believe that stress can play a key role in patients’ susceptibility to fibromyalgia. Many fibromyalgia patients have a history of chronic stress, often due to overloading their schedules and taking on too much responsibility for other people such as family members. A high number of fibromyalgia patients are young women who have “Type A” personalities and who lead ambitious, busy, stressful lives. Men with fibromyalgia often have worked in jobs that have resulted in physical job-related stress.

For fibromyalgia patients, stress can also make the condition worse and can trigger particular physical symptoms. People who suffer from fibromyalgia often have trouble knowing their personal limitations, which can make it hard for them to know when they are in danger of overexerting themselves. When
fibromyalgia patients physically overexert themselves, this can often lead to increased stress, which results in increased pain. A vicious cycle can easily develop, because the pain can lead to more stress, which, in turn, can lead to more pain. For this reason, stress management can also help greatly with fibromyalgia pain management.

There's no, if, and or buts when it comes to keeping stress in check with fibromyalgia.  Any type of stress can trigger an unforseen attack that can last hours.  The good news is, with a bit of preplanning, you can reduce those common flare-ups tremendously by doing a great precautionary exercise.

How to Reduce Stress

1.  Begin by meditating and finding where stress lurks in your body.  To do so, sit in crossed leg position, with your palms up, closing your eyes, and quieting your mind.  You can do this in bed, propped up with pillows, comfortably.  Fixate on your breathing.  Breathe in for the count of five and out for the count of five.  Set your senses inward locating various stress points.  Don't concentrate on releasing stress, rather, just find where it is lurking.  Just feel it - is it in your shoulders?  Chest?  Upper spine? Stomach? Hips? Joints?  Feel it with total acceptance.  Realize that it is part of your life at this moment.  Then just keep breathing in and out, fluently, effortlessly with total acceptance of your body at this moment. Don't try to relax your body - just be. At some point, you may feel a release of tension and pain.  Often, this takes several meditative episodes to do so.  When it happens, you will experience joy and gratefulness that flows throughout your inner being.  Practice this EACH morning before you begin your day.  It takes less than 10 minutes.

2.  With this new knowledge check your body throughout the day as you go about your daily routines noticing where stress inhabits at that moment.  Feel it deeply to ensure you are keeping it in check.  Imagine that it is first noticed in your stomach and as the stress monitor increases, it begins to build up bubbling to your chest, making way to your shoulders and surging into your throat. 

3. Your job is to keep that stress at stomach level from now on.  Do not let that barometerrise so that it escalates up to your throat causing extreme havoc for the day.  When you feel it rising, STOP, SLOW DOWN, AND IMAGINE PUSHING IT BACK DOWN TO THE STOMACH. 

4.  This is a great time to begin calming breathing exercises or get the new GPS for the Soul app. and get your BPM (beats per minute) in check.  Remember, no excuses, nothing is more important than your health!  Getting your stress in check now becomes a MAIN priority EVERY day.