What is stress?
Stress describes a state of internal alertness. It often arises when situations are perceived as stressful or difficult to control. Stress is triggered by so-called stressors—that is, external or internal stimuli that can place a strain on the body and mind.
1. External stressors
External stressors include, for example, time pressure, conflicts, high expectations, or work-related stress. Especially during the Christmas season, many organizational tasks often come together at once.
2. Internal stressors
Your own mindset can also intensify stress. Perfectionism, negative thoughts, or the expectation that you have to manage everything on your own can create additional pressure.
3. Physical and mental strain
Stress can manifest itself both physically and mentally. Common consequences include restlessness, exhaustion, sleep problems, or difficulty concentrating.
Our tips for less stress at Christmas
1. Make time for yourself
Take small, intentional breaks from the Christmas stress. Between baking, shopping, and organizing, it’s important to take a moment to relax and schedule time for yourself.
2. Ask for help
You don’t have to do everything on your own. Family or friends can help with the preparations so you can all enjoy a relaxed holiday season together. Accepting help isn’t a sign of weakness, but of self-care.
3. Plan ahead
Organizing gifts and Christmas preparations early helps avoid unnecessary stress right before the holidays. Especially during the holiday season, delays can quickly occur with orders or deliveries.
4. Don’t try to make everything perfect
We often put pressure on ourselves at Christmas and want everything to be perfect. But spending time together and creating beautiful moments are usually much more important than perfection.
5. Use to-do lists
A structured to-do list can help you stay organized and set priorities more effectively. This way, you can tackle important tasks step by step without overwhelming yourself.
With intentional breaks, good planning, and realistic expectations, Christmas stress can often be significantly reduced.
These medicinal plants can support you during stressful times
Stress often cannot be completely avoided in everyday life. This makes conscious rest periods and natural support all the more important for greater equilibrium and inner balance. Many medicinal plants are traditionally used in naturopathy to gently support the body and mind during stressful times. We’ve summarized here which plants are particularly valued for this purpose:
These medicinal plants are traditionally used in naturopathy to promote inner peace, relaxation, and balance during stressful times.
- Lemon balmistraditionally used for relaxation and calming and can help alleviate inner restlessness and nervousness.
- Oats is considered in naturopathy to be a plant that strengthens the nerves and is Often used to treat exhaustion and stress-related tension.
- Kava-kavais traditionally used to reduce tension and promote greater inner peace and serenity
- Angelica is traditionally used in naturopathy to provide support during stressful and challenging life phases.
- Silver birch and Nux vomica are traditionally used to provide naturopathic support for the body during periods of stress, tension, and inner restlessness.
