Holiday Stress Relief - Evidence-Based Ways to Feel Less Stressed [Ep 13]

In this episode, Lisa highlights four evidence-based ways to effectively lessen stress so you fully enjoy the holiday season and "bonus " -  they can be used any time of year!  You may be surprised to find that you are already doing  most of these in some form or fashion.  Lisa hopes to provide some ways to think differently about them to be more focused on relieving stress fast without a lot of extra time, money or effort. 

The evidence-based sources referred to for this episode are listed at the end of the transcript.

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Transcript

In this episode of Midlife Mojo, I highlight four evidence-based ways to effectively lessen stress so you fully enjoy the holiday season and - bonus - they can be used any time of year!  And you may be surprised to find that you are already doing most of these. I hope to provide some ways to think differently about them to be more focused on relieving stress fast. 

As I’m recording this, we are about halfway through the 2022 holiday season.  If you are listening sometime in the future and it’s not the holidays - stay with me!  These evidence based ways to lessen stress are effective any time of the year.  

It’s not unusual for stress to kick into high gear during the holiday season, especially with added stressors around finances/spending for gift giving, traveling, family expectations, additional work pressures, more social obligations or the lack thereof, which can be stressful as well.  

We can’t avoid stress completely, and really, we wouldn’t want to. Stress in small amounts can be helpful. Short term, moderate levels of stress helps us focus, can get us into action with a boost of energy and can help increase performance on tasks. On the other hand, longer term or higher levels of stress disrupt the natural functioning of our body’s stress response and it becomes increasingly taxing to deal with. 

The good news is that it is possible to relieve or decrease stress by doing some simple things that don’t take a lot of extra time, money or effort. Now, the four evidence based things I have chosen to focus on are not the only ones, there are lots - however, these four are things that you are likely already doing in some form or fashion so it’s just honing what you are doing, making it less daunting when you’re already stressed out! 

The first evidence-based strategy is to move. One of the most effective ways to reduce stress is to exercise regularly. There is a large and ever-growing body of scientific literature showing that consistent exercise is associated with a reduction in depression, anxiety, and stress. 

It’s interesting that exercise itself is a type of stress. Over-exercising or doing intense long workouts can actually increase stress levels. However, regular physical activity in the right amount for you may help you sleep better and boost resilience to stress.

Any form of exercise can reduce stress and provide real relief. I like to think of exercise as meditation in motion. Repetitive movement requires you to focus on your body and helps you stay in the present moment, which shifts the focus off of your thoughts and emotions about whatever you are stressing about.  While concentrating on the rhythmic movements of your body, you will often reap the same benefits of meditation, resulting in a more calm, relaxed state post-exercise.  

This effect is due to an increase in the brain’s production of endorphins during and after exercise. Endorphins are those feel-good neurotransmitters in your brain. These chemicals have some key downstream effects. They act as natural painkillers and they improve your ability to sleep, which may also help reduce stress and enhance your ability to manage stress.

Exercise also reduces stress hormones by lowering cortisol and adrenaline levels, which can help you feel calm and more in control. No worries if you don’t have time for long workouts. And if you’re not a member of a gym or if the gym is just not your jam, no problem. The key for stress relief is to find easy, enjoyable activities. This also increases your chances of doing the activity and sticking with it.  

For example, research suggests that it’s effective to walk every day for as little as 15–20 minutes as opposed to doing a longer, more intense workout once a week. But, if you realistically can only fit in exercise one time on the weekend, go ahead and do it.  Some other things to consider are trying an online workout like yoga, stretching, riding a bike.  Even getting outside and raking leaves works!  

For me, dance-based fitness and dancing are where I find that stress relief. It's something I enjoy doing. I will make time to do it but also I can just do it anywhere. It's not unusual for when I'm really stressed out to end up putting on some music, usually the Red Hot Chili Peppers, and dance around in my kitchen while I'm cooking or prepping some things to cook. It's something that I found that it really makes a difference to help me have a more calm relaxed state and to cultivate the natural feel-good chemicals in my brain. 

Putting this into practice for you - What are some things that you like to do that involve movement and physical activity? What are some things that are easily accessible to you that you can do 5, 10, or 15 minutes a few times a week? 

The second evidence-based way to lessen stress is to practice deep breathing. When experiencing stress, our breathing rate and breathing patterns change as part of the fight or flight response. Sometimes, breaths are shallower and faster.  Other times, if we are tense, we end up holding our breath or have irregular patterns.  

Deep breathing techniques are one of the best ways to lower stress in the body quickly because it allows you to bring focus and awareness to your breathing. This enables getting ample oxygen in while also slowing heart rate and lowering blood pressure. This increasing activation of your parasympathetic nervous system acts like a brake on a speeding car and signals your body to slow down and relax. 

In a 2020 clinical trial, researchers evaluated the impact of three different well-being interventions -  breathing exercises, mindfulness-based stress reduction, and an emotional regulation and awareness program.

The researchers found that the participants who practiced the breathing exercises experienced the most significant benefits in mental health, social connectedness, positive emotions along with lower levels of stress.

Another 2020 study compared deep breathing exercises to a workshop that taught more conventional, cognitive-based approaches for stress management.

The results indicated that deep breathing exercises were more beneficial due to the positive impact seen on stress and mood -  And these effects were still substantial when measured three months later.

I’d like to offer you one technique that is easy to do and brings on noticeable effects quickly - it’s called Box Breathing. It is a four-step process that’s simple to learn and can be practiced virtually anywhere, anytime - showering, watching tv, in the car or at your desk.

Here’s how to do box breathing: 

On your next inhale - Breathe in through your nose as you slowly count to four in your head. 

Pause, holding your breath for a count of four.

Exhale for another count of four.

Pause, holding your breath again for a count of four.

Repeat for three, four, five, six rounds 

Doing this type of breathing can be an effective tool for both short and long-term management of stress because you begin to experience the immediate benefits of a calm body and a more relaxed mind after performing this breathing technique for just a minute or two.  

The third evidence-based way to lessen stress is to practice gratitude. Studies suggest that gratitude is linked to the systems in the brain that regulate emotions and supports stress relief. Not only does expressing gratitude improve mental health and stress, it can also improve your physical health and even the quality of your sleep.

Meta-analysis studies on the efficacy of gratitude interventions seem to indicate that gratitude interventions significantly increase happiness, well-being, and positive mood. Practicing gratitude can increase positive emotions and reduce feelings of anxiety and stress, leading to a calmer and more relaxed state.

Expressing gratitude can take on many different forms. Somes examples are expressing  a simple, heartfelt thank you, writing a gratitude letter to someone you are grateful for but for whom you haven’t explicitly expressed your appreciation for, talking on the phone with someone who has been helpful to you and expressing how that made a positive impact, or simply noticing and writing down things you are grateful for.

One exercise that has been studied is called the “Three Good Things” activity. People who completed a “Three Good Things” activity that involved writing down at night three things that went well that day along with identifying the causes of those good things reported increased happiness six months after they did this for one week. 

Other studies of the Three Good Things activity have found that those who tried it reported enhanced subjective well-being, they had better access to positive memories as well as a greater sense of flourishing and reduced stress.  

I have actually done this exercise on several different occasions for a few days in a row and I've noticed that I tend to be a little bit more positive. It tends to also help me wind down at night and we'll talk about a little bit more about that in a minute.  I also assigned this in a couple of my classes for students when we were covering stress and it was very interesting because these students were anywhere probably 18, 19, 20, 21. It was really interesting what they came back and had to say about it. It was, overall, a positive experience and not something that they thought of doing on a regular basis or that they actually took action on. So it's something to give a try. Again, it's pretty easy to even just take a couple of moments at the end of the night and reflect on one or two things that went well during the day.  Even if writing something down isn't something that you feel like is going to work for you, just taking that intentional mindful moment to think of something that you're grateful for and reflecting on it can have an impact overall on how you feel. 

And last but not least - this brings us to the fourth evidence-based strategy , which is getting enough good quality sleep. When we’re stressed, we often sleep less, and when we sleep less, that makes us more stressed. 

I chose to mention sleep fourth not because it's the least of the priorities but because the three previous strategies - moving consistently, practicing deep breathing, expressing gratitude - can all help with getting good quality sleep and it all kind of works together.  In addition, not getting enough sleep, either from chronic sleep deprivation or shorter term restricted sleep, which is not getting seven to nine hours but several days in a row you're getting 5 to 6 hours,  this all the straps are stress response system and it in turn reduces our ability to deal effectively with the stressors that are coming up for us. Sso when you've had a stressful day or several stressful days in a row getting enough good quality sleep is an important recovery strategy. 

Research suggests that deep sleep can restore the brain's ability to regulate emotions and this is important because much of our stress, especially during the holidays, is due to internal processes, our thoughts about and our emotional reactions to circumstances and events. Having a better handle on our emotional regulation is beneficial to be able to reduce our reaction or overreaction to stress. 

Here are a few things to consider to help you get better sleep: One is t0 determine a sleeping and waking schedule and this is so your body gets in a rhythm and it knows when it's time to wind down and when it’s time to rest. This is easier said than done given all the demands that we have but it's worth giving it a try. Again, some days doing it is better than no days doing and  more days doing it is better than some. It helps regulate and keep our circadian and homeostatic rhythms in sync so you're able to wind down and go to sleep more easily. 

The other thing to think about is to remove anything from your bedroom that is not conducive to sleep. Now, this is a pretty standard sleep hygiene recommendation. It’s also something that I totally didn't do for a really long time. Then I got to midlife, started having some issues sleeping, not being able to go to sleep and not being able to stay asleep,  additional stressors coming on with life circumstances, things like that. I decided to give it a try. Things that I did that were super helpful to make my bedroom more conducive to sleep -  I removed the clutter and  things just sitting around on the dresser, sitting on my nightstand, things just on the floor and keeping it out consistently. Also, look at the other sources of light. Those small sources of light. the little machines in your room with lights and street lights coming through the blinds. Eliminate them so it’s nice and dark. I like it to be cool and dark when I sleep. Then, all work related items or anything that kind of makes me think of work doesn't come into the bedroom. My computer no longer comes into the bedroom and a lot of times I don't even want my phone in the bedroom. Those things really really help. Think about what is in your bedroom, taking a critical look at your bedroom and noticing if it is really conducive for relaxation and for you to go in and kind of be able to let the day go so that you can transition into sleep. 

And that leads to the next thing - coming up with a sleep routine. Some sort of sleep routine to help you wind down before bed and it can work whatever way it works for you. Some people like to take a warm bath or shower at night, it could be trying that three good things activity writing down a couple of things and reflecting on what went well, thinking about things you're grateful or trying a few rounds of box breathing to really relax and bring on that state of relaxation. Me? I like reading, probably for a good 20-40 minutes before I fall asleep. It helps me just transition from the day and I don't read anything that has to do with health, coaching or exercise. It usually has to do with, I don't know, cooking or it's a mystery or some sort of  romance novel. Something that has nothing to do with my actual work or anything that I have responsibility for and that helps me wind down. 

These are the four things - moving more, practicing deep breathing, expressing gratitude, and getting enough good quality sleep - all these things taken together are not only going to help benefit your overall well-being but can really help you in the moment reduce some of these stressful things that we end up dealing with during the holidays and on a daily basis. 

If you try any of these things, I'd love to hear about it! Send me a message on Instagram at lisadupreecoaching or snap a picture of that deep breathing or whatever you like to do for exercise and post it on Instagram, tag me. Bye for now!

Evidence-based sources referred to for this episode:

Childs E, de Wit H. Regular exercise is associated with emotional resilience to acute stress in healthy adults. Front Physiol. 2014 May 1;5:161. doi: 10.3389/fphys.2014.00161. PMID: 24822048; PMCID: PMC4013452. 

Goldstein, Michael R., et al. “Improvements in Well-Being and Cardiac Metrics of Stress Following a Yogic Breathing Workshop: Randomized Controlled Trial with Active Comparison.” Journal of American College Health, vol. 70, no. 3, 2020, pp. 918–928., https://doi.org/10.1080/07448481.2020.1781867. 

Hackney AC. Stress and the neuroendocrine system: the role of exercise as a stressor and modifier of stress. Expert Rev Endocrinol Metab. 2006 Nov 1;1(6):783-792. doi: 10.1586/17446651.1.6.783. PMID: 20948580; PMCID: PMC2953272. 

“Healthy Sleep Habits.” Sleep Education, 2 Apr. 2021, https://sleepeducation.org/healthy-sleep/healthy-sleep-habits/. 

Killen, A., & Macaskill, A. (2015). Using a gratitude intervention to enhance well-being in older adults. Journal of Happiness Studies: An Interdisciplinary Forum on Subjective Well-Being, 16(4), 947–964. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10902-014-9542-3

Mikkelsen K, Stojanovska L, Polenakovic M, Bosevski M, Apostolopoulos V. Exercise and mental health. Maturitas. 2017 Dec;106:48-56. doi: 10.1016/j.maturitas.2017.09.003. Epub 2017 Sep 7. PMID: 29150166. 

Miller JC, Krizan Z. Walking facilitates positive affect (even when expecting the opposite). Emotion. 2016 Aug;16(5):775-85. doi: 10.1037/a0040270. Epub 2016 Apr 21. PMID: 27100368. 

Seligman, M. E. P., Steen, T. A., Park, N., & Peterson, C. (2005). Positive Psychology Progress: Empirical Validation of Interventions. American Psychologist, 60(5), 410–421. https://doi.org/10.1037/0003-066X.60.5.410 

Seppälä, Emma M., et al. “Promoting Mental Health and Psychological Thriving in University Students: A Randomized Controlled Trial of Three Well-Being Interventions.” Frontiers in Psychiatry, vol. 11, 2020, https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyt.2020.00590. 

Suchecki D, Tiba PA, Machado RB. REM Sleep Rebound as an Adaptive Response to Stressful Situations. Front Neurol. 2012 Apr 2;3:41. doi: 10.3389/fneur.2012.00041. PMID: 22485105; PMCID: PMC3317042. 

The Science of Gratitude - white paper - https://ggsc.berkeley.edu/images/uploads/GGSC-JTF_White_Paper-Gratitude-FINAL.pdf 

Varvogli, L., & Darviri, C. (2011). Stress management techniques: evidence-based procedures that reduce stress and promote health. Health science journal, 5, 74-89.