Krystal Walden is the Founder/CEO of KRYSTAL SPA®. She is a former World-Class and University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) Track Athlete with a Master of Science in Gerontology from the University of Southern California (USC).
Wow, the winter holiday season has flown by yet again! As always, countless holiday branding, marketing, and advertising campaigns surrounded you everywhere you looked. You may recall noticing them on billboards, television, online platforms, mobile applications, magazines, emails, leaflets, and mailers, just to name a few. Perhaps you even thought to yourself, “Enough is enough!” There were Black Friday, Cyber Monday, Friends and Family, and all sorts of other winter holiday sales events.
The theory behind branding, marketing, and advertising is that it must be unique, strong, well-placed, and frequently seen for a campaign to succeed. In turn, a successful holiday campaign creates crowds of holiday shoppers everywhere, all at the same time. This dynamic can trigger stress and anxiety for any holiday shopper.
In-person shopping has become less desirable but remains stressful. Various work schedules mean most in-person shoppers tend to shop at the same time. This often happens after work or on weekends, which leads to traffic jams on roads and freeways, parking congestion, and checkout lines long enough to make you feel like you could take a nap standing up.
Online shopping has become more appealing, but stress levels are steadily rising. Merchants are beginning to display the number of shopping carts holding the same limited item and the remaining quantities of that item. This tactic increases impulsive shopping as people fear missing out on making their purchase.
Pressures of holiday shopping
At first glance, the holiday shopping season seems to symbolize quality time with family and friends, laughter, joy, happiness, and fun. However, the pressures of holiday shopping are rarely discussed. The most common pressures faced by holiday shoppers are financial constraints, expectations, and timing.
Financial constraints come in many forms. Holiday shoppers may not receive the holiday bonus they were expecting from their employer. They might fail to properly budget for holiday gifts or anticipate the expense or price increase of a specific gift.
Expectations from family and friends can be daunting. Holiday shoppers may worry about buying a gift as expensive as the one they might receive. They might feel anxious about their lack of creativity in gift-giving or concerned about how their family and friends will react to their inability to afford gifts.
Timing can make or break gift-giving. Holiday shoppers may anxiously wait for merchants to deliver gifts on time as promised. They might eagerly hope for the merchant to offer the same holiday sales deal as in previous years. They could also struggle to find the right time, amidst their work schedules, to shop for and wrap holiday gifts.
3 essential tips for recovering from holiday stressors
Whether everything went according to plan or not, you may be saying to yourself, “Hallelujah, I made it through another holiday season!” Keep in mind that although the holiday season is over, the stress and anxiety that may have built up during this time could still be lingering in your mind, body, and spirit. Here are three essential and simple health tips to help you start alleviating holiday stress and anxiety.
Water
A significant portion of the human body is composed of water; approximately 70%. Some organs and tissues have even higher percentages. Research studies show that the brain is about 80% water, the heart 70%, the lungs 80%, the skin 60%, the muscles 80%, and the bones 30%.
Water is essential for most of your biological processes and functions. It acts as a dissolving agent that regulates chemical reactions within your body’s cells. Water helps balance body temperature, transport nutrients and waste products, and maintain cell structure.
Increase your daily water intake to help flush toxins and impurities from your body that stress and anxiety may have caused.
Breathing
The average capacity of oxygen that adult lungs can retain at one time is 6–8 liters, roughly equivalent to 25 cups of water. The lungs, an essential part of the respiratory system, are protected by the rib cage. Factors like age, body size, and overall health can influence lung capacity and function.
Oxygen is vital because it powers essential bodily functions such as energy production, cell restoration, immune system support, thinking, and movement. Slow, steady, deep breathing supports the health of your mind, body, and spirit.
Take 5–10 minutes daily to sit in stillness, breathing as deeply and slowly as possible to reduce stress and anxiety.
Walks
Healthy muscles can begin to atrophy from inactivity and immobilization in just 2 to 4 days. After the age of 30, the human body naturally loses 4–8% of muscle mass every 10 years. While most people think of muscles that facilitate movement; such as those in the neck, arms, hips, and legs – other essential muscles surround, shape, protect, and support internal organs.
Walking is crucial for maintaining strength, balance, and flexibility in your organs, bones, joints, and muscles. Consistent walks can also boost your immune system, increase energy levels, maintain a healthy weight, improve sleep, enhance creativity, improve circulation, and reduce pain.
Take 15–30 minutes each day to walk at your own pace while practicing deep breathing. This will help keep your body strong and better equipped to combat stress and anxiety.
Many people seeking mental clarity, emotional stability, stress reduction, weight management, strength, flexibility, stamina, or an overall healthier lifestyle are often misguided by misinformation that lacks research or firsthand experience. As health and fitness experts, it is our mission, goal, and passion to highlight the facts. Your genetics, discipline, determination, focus, hard work, and beliefs all play a role in achieving a healthier lifestyle.
Learn how to regain your energetic, healthy self with a personal virtual health and fitness session with our experts. Contact Krystal Spa® to schedule your vital appointment today!
Krystal Walden, Master of Science in Gerontology
Krystal Walden brings to the health and fitness spa, 25+ years of experience as a competitive athlete; offering her unique fusion of athletic gifts and accreditations. Krystal specializes in helping individuals (from beginners to athletes) get back in touch consciously with their mind, body, and soul. She strongly emphasizes on body awareness and alignment for maximum injury prevention and recovery. With the kind of strength, flexibility, balance and compassions that Krystal possesses there is no doubt that she will meet her goals, to enhance the global image of how to live a stronger, healthier, and balanced lifestyle.
