with Gloria Holiday
Hello to everyone! I am so glad to be with you one more time. It is only by the grace of God that we are here and a blessing. I was sitting at the computer just thinking about how fast this year has gone by. We have less than 14 days left in the year of 2019. It would be so nice just to take it slow and easy. However, some of us can not because Christmas is only six days away. I hope most of you have started or finished your shopping and can relax and enjoy the holidays.
The newsletter from Southwest HRA recently listed six healthy ways to handle holiday stress. I would like to share part of it with you:
“‘The first thing is to recognize is that stress is not something that happens to us, but how we respond to circumstances,’ Heidi Hanna, Ph.D., of the American Institute of Stress tells SELF. ‘Life is full of challenges and obstacles, and when handled with a sense of grace and ease can build us up rather than tear us down.’ Below are a few healthy ways to channel holiday stress.
- Get outside and break a sweat: Unplugging to spend some time in nature is a great way to slow down overwhelming thoughts and reconnect with the present moment. ‘Physical exercise helps decrease stress hormones and builds a more resilient body and mind,’ Hanna explains.
- Focus on gratitude: Remind yourself of everything that makes your life wonderful, and of exactly why you appreciate those things.
- Meditate: ‘Start each day focusing on what really matters,’ Hanna suggests. ‘It’s critical to intentionally direct your attention to the things that are most important to you before you allow your brain to get taken over by the negative news and noise of the world.’ Hanna suggests that people experiencing extra stress set aside three to five minutes every morning to “[meditate] on what you appreciate in life, and plan time throughout the day to do nice things for others.
- Be of service to others: ‘There is no greater buffer to stress than serving others,’ Hanna explains. Volunteering, even for an hour or two every few weeks, is an excellent way to escape the trappings of your own stressed-out mind.
- Don’t feel guilty for needing downtime: It’s completely human—and healthy—to take periodic breaks to rest up. ‘Build in some extra downtime to recharge your inner battery,’ Hanna suggests. ‘Be sure to get enough sleep to repair your system.’ Aim to get 7.5 to nine hours of shut-eye each night.
- Watch or listen to things that bring you joy: Take yourself back to the holidays of your childhood by carving out time to enjoy things that make you happy. ‘Put together a positivity playlist, with songs that inspire you or help you unwind,’ Hanna suggests.
Remember: You can get through this. It will be January before you know it.”
Read the full article here: https://www.self.com/story/healthy-ways-to-handle-holiday-stress.
I pray this will help because I know how stressful these times can be. I also know we can do all things through Christ Jesus. Love and God bless!
Chester County Head Start is taking applications for 2020-2021 school year on children that will be three- or four-years old by Aug. 15, 2020. For more information, call 989-5192 or 989-5111.
Continue to pray for our United States of America. Do not forget to patronize with our local businesses here in town during this holiday season; let us try to support our own as much as we can.
If you live in the City of Henderson and have news about your family, birthdays, anniversaries, announcements or things happening in the City, I need to hear from you. Call me at 608-6132 and leave your message, or you may email me gloria__holiday@msn.com.
HAVE A GREAT WEEK!
