As exciting as the end of the year can be, with the festive season starting up, the promise of at least some time off, and the wrapping up of everything else – tying up all those loose ends can be more stressful than you’d like.
At City Lodge Hotel Group we believe in living for the magic of the adventure, and that also means not letting the little stresses get in the way of all the fun. So we’re going to help you ease into the end of the year without feeling like you need a padded room, rather than a relaxing hotel room.
We’ve collected some of the best stress management tips for you below – so read up, meet those deadlines with your sanity intact and get ready for those festive season adventures.
TAKE A DEEEEEEEP BREATH
It’s a cliché for a reason – when you take deep breaths as opposed to short quick breaths, you are able to calm yourself and your heart rate down significantly. All from just breathing properly.
A properly deep breath comes from your diaphragm, and you can tell if you are breathing properly by placing one hand on your abdomen, and one on your chest. Now breathe. If you are breathing from your diaphragm, then only your abdomen hand will move – not the one on your chest.
Consciously take a few of these breaths next time things are piling up and you’ll notice how quickly you’ll feel better.
MAKE YOURSELF HAPPY (EVEN IF IT’S FORCED)
When you’re happy you’re not stressed, right? So take that lesson into stressful situations with you. When things are starting to overwhelm you, take a step back and force yourself to laugh. You really won’t feel like it in the beginning, but soon the laughter will work, releasing those much-needed endorphins, and you will actually feel happy. You will also notice that you instantly feel a lot less stressed. Happiness is a release from all that tense stress.
So until you’re able to just relax and enjoy your holiday – keep that sense of humour up!
STAY ORGANISED
Every morning, write up a quick To Do list. If you aren’t naturally a highly organised person, this might seem like a stressful thing to do, but trust us, when things are written down in black and white, they suddenly seem less intimidating and doable. It’s when everything is swimming around in your head that the tasks can seem impossible.
Tick off each task as you go along and you won’t only feel on top of everything, but you’ll also get that added little boost by feeling like you’re accomplishing everything that needs doing.
CHAT IT OUT
It can be very easy to get caught up in whatever work you have to do and forget to give into your human side. People are social for a reason – chatting to overs allows us to blow off a little steam, as well as reassure us that things aren’t as impossible as they might seem in our heads. Don’t just escape into your own little bubble to get everything done, be sure to come up for air and interaction.
SLEEP THE STRESS AWAY
Not getting enough sleep when you’re trying to get a lot of things done is just counter-productive. As much as you think you might be getting done by working until all hours every night, the fall out the next day with you being ridiculously tired will just make every subsequent day less productive.
Get enough sleep, and get good sleep. Turn off the TV about 20 minutes before you go to bed and just let your mind relax for a while. If you go to bed with all your stresses in your mind, then you won’t sleep well anyway. Give yourself the time off and you’ll be better for it the next day.
We’re on the last stretch Lodgers! We love the festive season, because it brings a whole new batch of explorers to our hotels, and we want you to enjoy every minute of it – stress-free!
Let us know if you have any other stress tips to share in the comments below…