NokiaBetaLabs

Pre-holiday stress

Written by Eeva, Nokia Wellness Diary team

For many of us this is the busiest time of the year. The to-do lists seem to be getting longer the closer we get to the turn of the year and that brings stress along. Earlier, we covered the basic anatomy of stress: the fight-or-flight –mode and recovery from stress. So what can you do to avoid end of the year stress?

The first thing is to get out and move. Exercise, no matter how little, just get up and do it. Exercise helps you stretch out your muscles, brings fresh oxygen to your muscles and your stressed-out brain and most importantly, releases the feel-good hormones that help you combat stress. As a bonus, you get to add your exercise to Wellness Diary, and you'll be that much closer to your target.

The second thing is sleeping better. Sleep is very underestimated - it helps us recover from daily stress; emotional, physical or psychological. Sleep helps your learning and coping processes. Too little sleep can make you hungrier, which can lead to increase in weight, and if you're anything like me, that can become yet another stressor in itself. Combining exercise and sufficient sleep is a good way to tackle stress.

Lastly, remember to take care of yourself. Reward your hard work with fresh and tasty fruit and vegetables instead of industrially manufactured sweets. Veggies will boost your immune system, help your digestion and give you the energy that's needed to cope. And remember, the holidays are almost here.

What are your biggest end-of-the-year stressors? How do you cope?

- Eeva