The holidays are a crazy time for all of us. Between buying gifts, traveling, hosting, cooking, family, wrapping gifts, and holiday parties, it seems like every night is booked and there are never enough hours in the day to get everything done. Even though Christmas is a crazy busy time of year, it’s also my favorite time of year. But I think managing stress is key to making it through the holidays with joy and with great memories! So, today I want to share 3 quick and easy ways I manage stress during the holidays (and really, all the time).
1. Get outdoors. For some of you, you might live somewhere where getting outdoors in December is rough because of the cold weather. For those of us in Dallas though, winter weather is totally manageable. In the middle of my work day I try and get outside for at least 20 minutes to take Beau for a walk, or maybe call my mom while I walk around our neighborhood. Sometimes I’ll just go for a quick stroll and listen to worship music or take that time to pray. Regardless of what you do though, I think getting our doors is such a stress reliever. Breathe some fresh air and remind yourself that life is about so much more than what’s on your phone or computer.
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2. Stay active. Alot of people ask me how I stay motivated to consistently workout 5-6 days a week, and my answer is honestly that I love it and working out is probably one of my biggest stress relievers. Whether you go for a jog outside or go to a spin class or simply do an ab workout and pushups in your living room…staying active is one of the best ways you can manage your stress level – especially during the holidays! Even if you’re someone who thinks you hate to workout…make a goal for yourself to do something active for at least 30 minutes a day, a few days a week. I promise you will start to feel less stressed, and feel better about yourself as well!
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3. Serve others. During busy seasons like the holidays, it can be really difficult to carve time out of our schedules for others. But, I promise, it’s worth it. Choosing to serve others when you have a lot on your plate is a great reminder that you are not the center of the universe. There are others out there with hurts and needs that you can totally use your gifts or resources to help and bless them. Around the holidays especially there are so many opportunities to serve in a homeless shelter or volunteer at a soup kitchen. Another way you can serve others is just by inviting people into your home and cooking a meal for them, or remembering to give a gift to a neighbor or the people who clean your house.
Outfit details: Sports bra | Tights | Jacket
Speaking of gifts…I think this year my Christmas list was comprised of 90% lululemon. In my opinion, Lululemon makes for the best gift for anyone on your list – whether it’s someone who already loves to workout (because you can never have too many workout clothes), or someone who is trying to get back in shape. Having cute workout clothes is one of the best motivators for working out! Anytime my family asks me for gift ideas or what I want…I always tell them “anything from Lululemon is a safe bet”, because I KNOW I will love it every time!
A few gift ideas from Lululemon:
Gifts under $100:
Gifts for cold weather running:
This post was created in collaboration with Lululemon. All thoughts and opinions are my own!
xo Lauren
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