The holiday season is intended to be an enjoyable time of renewal, reflection and connection with family. All too often though, we discover ourselves tired from a grueling year of work, travel and deadlines. Christmas can be a stressful time. The expense of buying gifts, the pressure of last minute shopping and the heightened expectations of family togetherness can all combine to undermine our best intentions.
Charity, Heart Research UK. claim that stress levels can increase at Christmas, raising blood pressure and putting a strain on health, Surveys conducted by the University of East London in 2010, found Christmas shopping can increase blood pressure to potentially dangerous levels. Half of the shoppers who took part in the study were deemed to have 'at risk' blood pressure readings after just 75 minutes of Saturday Christmas shopping!
Simple things like stepping out for a brisk walk, having some relaxing 'me time', catching up on sleep and enjoying a good laugh with friends will help to manage the stress and take card of our heart's health.
The following suggestions can help you reduce your 'Christmas stress'. use our 12 days of Christmas as a guide: to read more see the full newsletter:
12 Resilient Days of Christmas