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With Thanksgiving upon us, we should talk about stress reduction. Spending time with your family (officially related or not) is wonderful and can be a rare treat. It can also be stressful with additional demands of shopping, cleaning and entertaining. You stay up late talking and get up early to cook or hit the sales. You feel exhausted!!
But even when you're tired, exercise is important. Take time for a walk around the block or a few minutes of jumping jacks and lunges. Exercise will help your entire body with increased circulation and oxygen. It may even refill your patience tank. The Mayo Clinic reports that aerobic exercise may reduce the incidence of dementia. Sounds like a win-win all around.
Practice mindfullness. Be present and in the moment those times when you are with family and friends. Emails and texts, even dishes can wait. Look each other in the eye and have a true conversation.
Instead of powering through the Holidays, let yourself rest well at night so you can enjoy the festivities. Coffee tastes wonderful but limit yourself to 1 -2 cups a day and incorporate green tea for additional warm drinks.
Pack snacks for yourself when running errands or attending an event after work. If you maintain a level blood sugar with an apple or banana, you won't inhale a bag of Doritos when you get home or be tempted by fast food.
Feeling down? Make a "Blessing List" and thank God for the good things in your life. Thank Him for helping you through the tough spots, too. Call someone who might be lonely and cheer them up. Smile at a child.
And don't forget to laugh out loud!
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