3 Tips to Avoid Holiday Stress with Exercise and Movement
If the holidays have you feeling a little skittish or frazzled, physical exercise - any movement really - is the perfect antidote to anxiety. Here are 3 tips for moving your body around that will leave you feeling a bit more settled, energetic, and less frustrated.
Work out your Vagus nerve
The surges and retreats of COVID-19 notwithstanding, the rush and bustle of the holidays combined with the stresses of travel, being around family, meeting end-of-year deadlines, and, of course, concerns about money can put your body into an extended “fight or flight” state.
Muscles tense up, your heart races and then drops, breathing is shallow and more hurried. Over days and even weeks, this can have serious impacts on your energy, focus, and attitude.
Why? Well, it’s your nerves. One in particular.
The Vagus nerve starts in your brain and passes through your chest, diaphragm, and abdominal cavity. Physical alignment of the spine and torso regulates the Vagus nerve and can help you leave the fight or flight state, physiologically.
Once your body has a chance to calm, you can work through the mental process with more clarity.
Practice some “mindful movements” exercise
Anxiety creates tunnel vision (or “tunnel thinking”) and makes it difficult to focus on anything else. Mindful movement practices, such as Pilates, can help you pull yourself out of your mental thought pattern.
Mindful movement is putting deep thought into how your body is aligned when you move and how each muscle is functioning. It’s also sensing your body, including how it feels to move, plus how your body moves in the space around you.
When you focus your mind on your physical body, you can redirect your thoughts from an anxious pattern. Thinking about how to activate your muscles, or how to maintain good alignment by stabilizing one part of your body while you create movement with another part, requires complete focus. That level of mental focus allows the other thoughts in your mind to take a back seat for a while. Once you move away from those thoughts for a short time, you can return to them with a clear mind and fresh eyes.
It can be surprising how things start to feel a little less overwhelming when you pull your attention away from them. And this doesn’t mean you will push your thoughts away. You will just be giving yourself some mental space while you get calm and centered in your physical body.
Try shorter exercise sessions
One of the reasons it can be difficult to fit in exercise during the holidays is because everything else takes up so much of your time. It can be difficult to start if you are worried you don’t have the time to commit to an hour or so.
Try going on a short walk, or just doing a short exercise video, around 20-30 minutes. This way you will be more likely to fit it into your day. It’s also plenty of time to get the benefits of exercising, like boosting your energy levels, connecting to your body, and clearing your mind.
It might also get you to try something new, which is always great for your mind and your body. You will get the chance to learn more about what you like to do for a workout. Plus, learning a new movement needs complete mental focus. It’s a great way to take your mind off of your stress and focus on yourself for a while.
It doesn’t matter what type of exercise you do; Pilates, Yoga, Martial Arts, and Dance will all connect you physically and mentally. When you focus on your physical body, how it moves, plus how it feels when you move, your thoughts become unstuck. This will allow you to find peace in your physical body and let your mind adapt. Best for anxiety, chronic or acute.
Running or other high-intensity exercises are good if you need to clear your head. Great for everyday stress and a movement of adrenaline. Stressful day or week.
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