It’s that time of year! As the temperature drops and the leaves turn, advertisements begin to bombard us with images of perfect families, smiling, exchanging warm greetings and gifts, while others are shown singing Christmas carols around the fire in perfect homes. It is easy to feel that we somehow miss the mark. In reality, the magazine cover Christmas is often far from the truth. The holidays can bring a great deal of stress, and for many, even depression. As we trudge through busy malls, combat horrific traffic, and pinch pennies to make ends meet, we can all become victims of holiday grumpiness.
There are ways to nudge the spirit back to a feeling of well-being during the hustle and bustle of the holiday season. Accessible to anyone, one or all of the following three actions can help.
1. Extend the exhale
2. Be grateful
3. Help others
1. Extend the exhale
This practice triggers a relaxation response. Think about how we go “ahhhhhh” as we slip into a hot tub of water or receive a massage. The good feeling naturally inspires us to exhale slowly. Likewise, we can encourage these kinds of good feelings by taking this type of breath on purpose.
There is a yogic technique known as ujjayi breathing. Try making the sound “hhhhhh”. Notice how the throat contracts to create this sound. Remember the feeling of the contraction and now breathe through the nose with the throat in this position. The sound will be muffled and only audible to you as a soft, wave-like sound. This is ujjayi breathing. There are a number of reasons for using ujjayi breath, but for this quick stress-relieving technique, employ the technique only on the exhale. Because the throat is constricted, the exhale is naturally extended as there is less space in the throat. Breathe in this fashion for 6 to 10 breaths to combat edginess.
2. Gratefulness
This seems a simple task, and it is when all is well. But when the cat has knocked over the tree, you’ve got a long list of gifts to purchase with a short budget, and your catalog orders have been delayed, it’s not quite as easy. An emotional lift is just around the corner if, during times when all seems to be working against you, you can stop and remind yourself of what IS good in life and express gratitude to yourself and others.
And if you can talk yourself into feeling grateful even for what seems negative, you’ve made a great leap. So many positive changes in my life were instigated by great difficulty. I try to remember this when I’m challenged by hardship.
3. Helping others
As troubling as things might seem, you can always find someone in a worse situation. Offering assistance to others has a way of bringing you out of your slump. Whether you help a friend, a relative, or volunteer at some worthwhile organization, helping others is well-known as a good means to improve the mood. It is even recommended for alleviating depression. And this isn’t just my opinion. A growing body of research shows that random acts of kindness do actually help with depression. Humans are, says Healthy Living, wired that way.
These are all readily available! No prescription necessary. And who knows, you just might help make the world a better place.