How to Really Take Care of Yourself This Holiday Season

Easy ways to plan for a healthier and happier celebration

Another holiday season is upon us. And along with gifts and nonstop seasonal soundtracks, it can also bring stress, disappointment, emotional eating, and overindulgence. Between event planning, shopping, cooking, managing relatives, and trying to complete the 300 other tasks “necessary” for a good holiday, it’s no wonder many people lose sight of what keeps them physically healthy and mentally grounded throughout the rest of the year. But it doesn’t have to be that way. With just a little thought and planning, you can survive – and even thrive – during this holiday season.

Keep exercise essential. Physical activity is the number one thing I recommend to everyone I work with because it reduces stress, improves mood and concentration, and combats depression. When it comes to improving how you feel, getting regular exercise can be as effective as taking antidepressants. Decades of research shows that even just ten minutes of challenging exercise daily triggers the same hormones in your brain (serotonin and dopamine) targeted by anti-anxiety and antidepressant medications. Regular exercise builds up levels of these important mood regulators, becoming a buffer for stress, anxiety, and depression.

Read more at; https://valourdigest.com/how-to-really-take-care-of-yourself-this-holiday-season/




5 Things You Need to Stop Telling Yourself if You Want to Improve Your Mental Health

Your brain is an editor. One of its tasks is to choose how to narrate the story of what happens to you every day. It determines how every conversation and calamity fit in with your own life saga. How your brain interprets that fight with your partner or that failed job interview ultimately determines whether these events will cause negative emotions and self-defeating thoughts.

When you feel anxious or stressed out, your editorial brain is tempted to cut corners for self-preservation. One such shortcut is the “must” filter. Musts are beliefs that we have about how the world should work and how we should behave in it. They are nice little boxes into which your brain tries to cram every event, but the reality is that these “musts” tend to not be accurate or rational. They ignore the complexities of the human experience for black and white truths. Here are a few common “musts” to watch out for when you start to worry. Stop telling yourself these five musts and see the changes it can bring to your mental health.
Read more at; https://valourdigest.com/5-things-you-need-to-stop-telling-yourself-if-you-want-to-improve-your-mental-health/

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