Reducing stress over the long term involves eating a nutritious diet, getting adequate exercise and logging sufficient hours of sleep. But when Uncle Joe at the holiday feast is repeating a story that's been heard 100 times, it's helpful to have easy anxiety hacks on hand.
Here are five simple ways to calm yourself when the stress of the holidays becomes overwhelming:
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Diaphragmatic breathing
Also known as abdominal breathing and belly breathing, diaphragmatic breathing has been shown to decrease stress by increasing the amount of oxygen in the blood and reducing heart rate and blood pressure.
The easiest way to perform it is to place a hand on the belly and breathe in slowly through the nose so the stomach rises. With the other hand on the chest, breathe out through the mouth so the hand remains still. Tighten the stomach muscles on the exhale.
The best way to do this exercise is lying on the floor or a bed with a pillow under the knees to support the legs, according to the Cleveland Clinic. But sitting at the table with Uncle Joe may make that impossible. Doing it in a chair works well, too.
Practicing belly breathing for 5-10 minutes, four times a day, will help improve the technique. In the very least, just concentrating on breathing deeply in a moment of stress can help ease anxiety.
Progressive muscle relaxation
Research shows that progressive muscle relaxation is an effective way to calm down and even evade an oncoming panic attack. It's quick and easy and doesn't involve any special equipment.
Lying down is best, but that is not always possible, especially during the holidays when people tend to be cloistered together. Doing progressive muscle relaxation silently in a chair without anyone knowing is also possible. Repeat as many times as necessary. Here is how to do it:
• Take five deep breaths.
• Lift up your toes, hold and let go.
• Tense your calf muscles, then relax them.
• Move your knees together, hold and let go.
• Tense your thighs for a moment and release.
• Make tight fists, then open your hands.
• Tighten your arm muscles and release.
• Tense your butt muscles, then let go.
• Squeeze in your belly, hold and release.
• Tighten your chest by inhaling, hold your breath and exhale.
• Bring your shoulders to the ears and let go.
• Squeeze your lips together and release.
• Take a big yawn.
• Squeeze your eyes shut, pause, and let go.
• Raise your eyebrows and release.
Self-talk/mantras
The history of mantras is intricate and ancient. But mantras are easily adaptable to everyday life, especially powerful for releasing the mind. In its barest form, a mantra is a word or phrase repeated as a way to still racing thoughts and sharpen focus.
Using mantras is essentially a form of self talk. Mantras can be silently repeated or whispered. The mental health brand Calm recommends these mantras to attack anxiety:
• "I am calm and centered."
• "I release worry and embrace calm."
• "With every breath, I feel stronger."
• "I choose peace over anxiety."
• "Peace is within me."
Simple stretches
Stressed out but don't have enough time to work out? A short stretching session can help calm the nerves.
Stretching has been shown to increase serotonin, a hormone that helps with mood stabilization. Stretching also increases blood flow, which helps reduce the pain of sore muscles.
There are many stretching guides online. Here are a few:
• The MD Anderson Center offers some quick and easy stretches, such as gently pressing the tip of the tongue to the roof of the mouth, which causes the jaw to fall open and relax. Tilting the head forward and rolling it around slowly clockwise and then counterclockwise also can be done in social settings without drawing a lot of attention.
• If it's possible to go into a private space for a bit, try the child's pose. It is a calming way to stretch the back, hip and arm muscles. The Mayo Clinic explains how to do it here. The Mayo Clinic also offers this guide to a series of basic stretches that take a bit longer and require warming up for five to 10 minutes by walking or jogging in place.
• Follow this YouTube video for a gentle stretching session for beginners and seniors. It takes about 15 minutes, can be done pretty much anywhere and doesn't call for any special equipment.
• Verywellfit explains how to do a chest and shoulder stretch, upper back stretch, seated side stretch and more here.
To avoid injury, Harvard Health warns to stretch just to the point of pain and not beyond, pay attention to form and make sure to breathe.
Countdown exercise
This technique for helping quiet anxiety can be silently done anywhere, anytime. Repeat it as many times as needed until achieving a sense of calm. The Mayo Clinic explains how to do it.
Sit quietly, look around and notice:
• Five things you can see such as your open hands, the table centerpiece, your grandma's glasses
• Four things you can physically feel, such as your feet on the floor, the tips of your fingers, the softness of your sweater
• Three things you can hear, such as Uncle Joe's jabber, the hiss of the radiator, the tapping of a keyboard
• Two things you can smell, such as fresh-brewed coffee, wood burning in the fireplace, pine scent from a Christmas tree
• One thing you can taste, such as the sour-sweet of a tangerine slice, the mint of a slice of gum, the fresh air
If you are experiencing a mental health crisis, call or text 988, the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. All conversations are confidential. Services available in English and Spanish.