From hosting parties to planning family vacations, the holidays may cause you to experience increased stress levels. Fortunately, there are several ways to feel more calm and festive at this time of year. The following guide explains how professional counselors recommend relaxing during the holiday season.  

How Can You Remain More Relaxed Over the Holidays?

1. Allow Others to Help

Cooking feasts, wrapping gifts, and running errands to prepare for gatherings can cause your schedule to become hectic, which may make you feel stressed and overwhelmed. Asking for help from friends and family members can lighten your load, make your to-do list more manageable, and help you feel more at ease. Rather than taking care of everything on your own, you can ask guests to bring certain dishes to dinners or ask a neighbor to pick up ingredients at the grocery store. 

2. Make Peace With Imperfections 

Setting high expectations during the holidays can make you feel disappointed and stressed if everything doesn't go perfectly. For instance, you might anticipate receiving a particular gift that never arrives or feel let down if a family member can't make it to your party. If you remain realistic, you'll feel more relaxed and at peace if things don't turn out exactly as you planned. 

3. Get Plenty of Rest

Not getting adequate sleep during the holiday season can affect your mental health and increase stress, anxiety, and depression. Adults require about seven to nine hours of nightly sleep, so try to prioritize getting the appropriate amount of rest. You can promote a state of restfulness and encourage the production of melatonin, which is the hormone that makes you feel sleepy, by taking a warm bath, playing relaxing music, and ceasing the use of electronic devices about an hour before bed.

Try to relax this holiday season with help from the counselors at Gavia LifeCare Center. Located in Rochester, NY, they offer confidential and compassionate mental health counseling to clients throughout Greece, Gates, Spencerport, Chili, Scottsville, Churchville, Albion, Hilton, and Brockport. Call (585) 371-6464 to book an appointment with a counselor, and visit their website to find out how they can improve your mental health.