This holiday season is the gift of giving. Why not give back to yourself?

‘Tis the season to be…

…stressed? We hope not, but from cooking to making sure you’ve got all of your presents beautifully-wrapped in time, Christmas for some can be one of the most stressful time of the year.

Those of us who suffer from stress can rest assured in the knowledge that here at the Good Health Centre we have come up with a couple of suggestions to help you unwind and relax during this festive period.

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Stress and your body

High-pressure events, like Christmas, can cause our bodies to react in a negative way. From common effects such as lack of sleep to more invasive symptoms such as headaches and stomach aches, stress can affect us all differently. Not only does our body react, but our behaviour and our mood may also change.

The best way to prevent stress from taking hold of your Christmas holiday is to recognise the signs of stress and know how and when to take time out for yourself.

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Managing festive stress

Here are a few ways you can help yourself to manage the stress this festive period may bring:

• Engaging in physical activity
• Practising relaxation techniques, such as deep breathing, (see our top tips to correct breathing here) meditation, yoga, tai chi or massage (to see how massages may help you by clicking here.

• Spending time with family and friends.
• Setting aside time for hobbies, such as reading or listening to music.

A really relaxing way of dealing with stress and anxiety is by practising meditation or yoga. Yoga combines physical poses and controlled breathing, and meditation is used for both the mind and body. Incorporating yoga into your holiday schedule may help reduce stress, lower blood pressure and lower your heart rate to help you cope with the frenetic party season ahead of you.

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Osteopathic ‘Maintenance’

As we all know, our bodies need maintaining more frequently as we age. We need regular check-ups to ensure our bodies are performing to the very best of their abilities so we can enjoy our day-to-day activities as much as possible.

Osteopathic treatment is aimed at releasing the strains and stresses from our bodies that have accumulated over time, so remember at this time of year to be kind to yourself and get rid of some of those aches and pains. Having an osteopathic ‘MOT’ treatment with one of our practitioners every few months could benefit you and help you live an even more active lifestyle!

To book an appointment, or to speak to one of our osteopaths for some advice, please call us on 0113 2371173 or visit us here.