Surviving Christmas with Acupuncture

Its Christmas time and we’re all getting ready to celebrate.  Finishing work tasks to get everything sorted before the holidays start, then running around with shopping for gifts and the planning of the dinner so it can be a tad stressful.  It really is the most wonderful time of the year as the song says but it can also end up becoming a burden to our health.

So here are some Traditional Chinese Medicine self-help tips to see you through the season.

1.       Don’t forget to breath

When we become stressed we naturally hold our breath, our breathing becomes shallow and rapid so when you begin to feel stressed focus on your breath.  This can be done anywhere and anytime, you could be in work in your chair, in the queue in the shops, or you can also do this last thing at night when you do get to finally go to bed.  So get comfortable, lengthen your back and rotate your shoulders forward, backwards and up and down.  Now concentrate on opening your chest and take nice normal breaths, you can lengthen the breath if it feels comfortable.  By doing this it is impossible to remain tense after a couple of minutes.

2.       Go for a Walk

Walking is a great way to de-stress and better still do it outdoors.  Take a look at your environment, if you are near trees look at them, the grass, if you are on the beach notice the other people walking along with their families and dogs.  By doing this you are moving your mind away from your own stress and negative thoughts.

3.       Go with the flow

Christmas can be fun and chaos filled so rather than resisting it try to go with the flow.  In Chinese Medicine the smooth and free flow of Qi results in a happy and healthy body.  When Qi stagnates it results in pain and weakened immune health and none of us want that.  So when traffic is bad, you’re running late, the last Elsa doll has been bought, the in-laws have landed, pretty much things you can do little about, stop, breath and go with the flow and enjoy.

4.       Sleepy Time

Sleep is the time that the body gets to regenerate and repair and when we are stressed it can be more difficult to get a good night’s sleep.  Try not to eat too late into the evening as a full tummy can make it difficult to get to sleep as the body is busy digesting.  A nice bath can also help prepare the body for sleep, why not try adding some Epsom salts and a few drops of lavender oil. 

5.       Acupuncture

Let Acupuncture help take all that stress away.  It is excellent for relaxing people.  Stress can snowball so pop that bubble with some acupuncture before it gets out of hand.  Contact Niamh at Anam Mai Acupuncture to discuss how acupuncture could help you