4 Tips to Squash Holiday Stress | Faulkner's Drug Store

It’s that time of year again–the holiday season! From holiday dinners with friends and family to crowded shopping malls and ramping up your seasonal decor, are you ready to face everything to come without stress? This season, Faulkner’s Drug Store wants to help you keep your chill with the right stress busting tips.

Let in some sunshine.
Many people find themselves feeling stressed, lonely or depressed during the holidays as we experience fewer hours of sunshine than in warmer months. Seasonal affective disorder (SAD) affects millions of Americans every year, but sunlight helps stimulate the production of serotonin to help relieve SAD symptoms. This holiday season, do what you can to spend more time outdoors, sit near a window on sunny days, or talk to your healthcare provider about a full-spectrum phototherapy light box. You can learn more about SAD here.

Stop to smell the citrus.
Have you ever used aromatherapy to boost your wellness? Essential oils can be a great way to help elevate your mood and relieve your holiday stress. Some citrus scents can increase positive feelings and even alleviate your stress by raising your levels of norepinephrine. Throughout the day, take a whiff of some lemon or orange essential oil.

Make time for exercise.
We all know that exercise is important to a healthy life. This holiday season, prioritize 30 minutes everyday for a brisk walk. You’ll experience the mood boosting benefits of regular exercise, but you’ll also enjoy health benefits specific to walking–such as a calmer brain and improved sleep. Here are more tips about walking to ease your stress.

Get in a good laugh.
Laughter really is good medicine, and as it turns out, it’s great for stress reduction. When you laugh–and we mean really laugh, from the belly, we actually lower our stress hormones. Reduced stress also helps boost the functioning of our immune cells. The act of laughing like crazy is so good for our health, it’s really no wonder that there are laughter classes to help you reap the benefits.

This holiday season, be sure to call on your friends at Faulkner’s Drug Store. You can like us on Facebook for more health tips, or stop by the drug store to stock up on healthy staples for your home and medicine cabinet.