Photo: Yoga Journal
As we transition into the holiday season, we are surrounded by spooky activities, thankful banquets, and festive exchanges. This time of year is typically marked as everyone’s favorite. However, it not always is. This time of year is actually the most difficult for some people, so much so that suicide rates are the highest this time of year.
Although these aren’t cure-all solutions, they’re a good start to help alleviate overwhelming feelings of stress to help boost your overall mood. They should never replace professional treatment, but it’s helpful to know these steps towards being a little bit more mindful.
Practice Breathing Exercises
Sometimes, something as simple as breathing can make a huge difference. Take 3 minutes to do a deep breathing exercise. Try inhaling for 3 seconds and exhaling for 3 seconds. Focus on your breath. Repeat this exercise during the entire duration of the 3 minutes. Doing this helps your muscles to relax, your blood pressure to lower, oxygen delivery will improve, and endorphins will be released. This will help your body manage stressors more effectively.
Go Outside
Take a moment to go outside and soak in all the sunlight. Sunlight can improve serotonin levels which is associated with feeling calm and boosting a person’s overall mood. A great way to incorporate this is during your lunch break at work or eating breakfast outside before starting your day.
Start a Fitness Routine
With feelings of exhaustion and depression, it can be difficult to start exercising. However, time and time again, exercise is shown to be an effective and powerful tool to combat depression. Start off with an easy stroll around the block or stretches at the park. Get a friend involved! It can help keep you accountable and motivated.
Remember, Life is Rollercoaster
Sometimes there is no avoiding negative feelings or depressive thoughts, but these challenges can be opportunities to grow and improve for the better. In weakness, there is strength. Know that these feelings are normal, you are never alone, and you deserve to feel better. Just take it one step at a time
