Mindfulness for Holiday Stress Relief
Find Joy and Life-Affirming Presence
Take Five Minutes to Center, Breathe and Reduce Holiday Stress
This holiday season – try Mindfulness for Holiday Stress Relief, Sober Holidays and Relapse Prevention.
Mindfulness meditation helps by interrupting stress cycles. This creates the space to think how to respond – instead of automatically reacting.
There are four basic types of stress : physical stress, psychological stress, psychosocial stress, and psychospiritual stress.
During an average holiday season – most individuals experience all four types of stress. It is very important to be able to be able to stop the cycle of stress and find some inner peace.
Mindfulness for Holiday Stress Relief and Sober Holidays
When feeling holiday stress or pressure – do the following:
1. Stop what you are doing. If you need to excuse yourself and walk away to another room or outside – do it.
2. Breathe deeply and hold the breath as long as you can. ‘Watch’ your breath. That is: concentrate on breathing as if this is your only activity in the world. And for right now – it is.
3. Slowly release the breathe. Breathe in slowly and again hold the breath for as long as possible.
4. Repeat – concentrating on slow breathing for 1-2 minutes.
5. When it feels comfortable – Listen. Just…listen. If you are outside, hear the wind moving in the trees. Notice birdsong or even car noise.
→ Just listen to sounds in your surroundings without making a good or bad judgement.
6. The combination of centering by concentrating on the breath and listening to surroundings without involvement – will bring you back to your ‘center’.
7. Our center is the place where we can just ‘be’ for a few moments, without any judgement.
→ This is who we really are.
8. Centering works to ‘break’ the connection with physical and emotional stress. It returns us to a place of inner peace.
9. If an unsettled state of mind cannot be brought back into perspective through this mindfulness exercise – mindfully walk or do something else for a few minutes.
10. Repeat Steps 2-5. Inner balance and calm are critical factors to implement during times of stress.
Mindfulness for Sober Holidays
Holiday pressures and demands can increase the impact of all normally stressful events – making them far more challenging.
When stress seems overwhelming – remember: the goal is a peaceful and sober holiday. Use Mindfulness for Holiday Stress Relief.
Practicing mindfulness when encountering holiday stress increases happiness – and creates a more peaceful environment.
Contact New Start Recovery Solutions if you are experiencing issues with mental health (depression, trauma etc) and/or substance abuse.
We Can Help! Call 866-303-6275.
Common Sources of Holiday Stress
Learn to recognize your sources of holiday stress.
Sources of Holiday Stress include:
∙ Work Stress
∙ Money Worries
∙ Family Stress
∙ Relationship Stress
∙ Unexpected Crisis Situations
(Not funny as seen on Christmas Vacation)
Call Admissions 866-303-6275 for confidential questions and assistance.
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We work with EAP and Union Programs and most insurance.
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Sober Holidays Tip: Use Mindfulness to Maintain Emotional Balance
Feeling trapped in a stressful situation this holiday season? Or, feeling an emotional tsunami approaching?
∙ STOP – and take a deep breath.
∙ Walk away if you need to remove yourself from a stressful situation.
∙ Go to your Mindfulness ‘happy place’ and breathe mindfully and calmly.
∙ Repeat as needed.
Findings from studies suggest that over the course of meditating – long-term practitioners of mindfulness meditation actually altered the structure and function of their brains,
‘Neuroplasticity and Meditation’
Call Admissions 866-303-6275 for confidential questions and assistance.
Same Day Detox Admissions · Dual Diagnosis Rehab Treatment
Residential Rehabs | Outpatient Rehabs | Mental Health Care | Virtual IOP
We work with EAP and Union Programs and most insurance.
TriWest in-network; VA Community Care Provider
Uncovering Holiday Myths and Adjusting Expectations
It would be fair to say that many Americans experience a collective cultural ‘mythology’ during the month of December. Unrealistic expectations can be an especially serious issue for veterans returning home. It is important to know and understand potential stumbling blocks before encountering them.
Learn to recognize your holiday stress triggers, such as financial pressures, frustrations or personal demands – so that you can combat the stress before it leads to a meltdown.
Common Holiday Unrealistic Beliefs
Myth #1: Holidays are a time of joy – and everyone is happy.
Myth #2: Everyone can eat and drink as much as they want and never suffer ill effects.
Myth #3: Frustrations and exhaustion due to the holidays do not exist. Children will not cry or act up, significant others will finally understand us completely, we will not run out of tape and wrapping paper at the worst possible moment – and we will get that last parking space.
Myth #4: I can interact with family and relatives that always upset me. But due to a ‘Christmas Miracle’ – there will be no ill feeling and all long-standing issues will be happily resolved.
Takeaway: LIFE HAPPENS
• Frustrations will occur – even in holiday seasons.
• Don’t sweat the small stuff.
• And for larger issues – be patient with yourself.
• Work on mindfully handling issues.
Self-Medicating with Alcohol or Drugs Only Increases Holiday Stress
Sober holidays are possible. However, self-medicating with alcohol only makes stressful situations worse (sometimes, far worse).
And if self-medicating with alcohol goes on long enough – individuals can become functional alcoholics.
Functional (High Functioning Alcoholics) are masters of deception. Friends, co-workers and extended family may see ‘just an average person’. High functioning alcoholics live in denial and point to their career successes. But in private, alcoholic behavior patterns are fully active.
By any definition – functional alcoholics are true alcoholics.
Functional alcoholics (and functional addicts) do not fit the popular stereotype of ‘down and out’. However the health effects of consuming large daily amounts of alcohol or drugs will catch up with the individual – sooner or later.
“Our findings with regard to alcoholic subtypes should help dispel the popular notion of the ‘typical alcoholic,’” notes author Howard B. Moss, M.D., NIAAA Associate Director for Clinical and Translational Research. “We find that young adults comprise the largest group of alcoholics in this country, and nearly 20 percent of alcoholics are high functioning and well-educated with good incomes.”
Call Admissions 866-303-6275 for confidential questions and assistance.
Same Day Detox Admissions · Dual Diagnosis Rehab Treatment
Residential Rehabs | Outpatient Rehabs | Mental Health Care | Virtual IOP
We work with EAP and Union Programs and most insurance.
TriWest in-network; VA Community Care Provider
Wishing you a Sober, Mindful – and Peaceful – Holiday Season!
Contact New Start Recovery Solutions if you are experiencing issues with mental health (depression, trauma etc) and/or substance abuse.
We Can Help! Call 866-303-6275.
Happy Sober Holidays from New Start Recovery Solutions!
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We also work out of network with most PPO insurance.
Please Note: We cannot accept Medicare, Medicaid or Medi-Cal.
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We Work With:
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• Each patient is evaluated by New Start Recovery Solutions staff and receives a biopsychosocial assessment; and an individualized treatment plan.
• We use Mindfulness for Relapse Prevention and other whole person evidence-based therapies.
• Our holistic therapies include CBT, DBT, Brainspotting, Conscious Recovery, yoga and more.
• If you or your loved one is located in Silicon Valley, San Francisco, Bay Area, San Rafael, Monterey, Sacramento, Chico, Paradise, Redding, Martinez or other Northern California area – and are dealing with a drug abuse or an alcohol use disorder – welcome to evidence-based whole person addiction treatment at New Start Recovery Solutions.
• New Start Recovery Solutions is a VA Community Care Provider; in-network with TriWest.
• Our trauma-informed dual diagnosis treatment is effective for PTSD, depression, anxiety and more.
• Military and Veteran PTSD Treatment Programs – Residential and Outpatient.
• Treatment Programs for First Responders, Union Members and Professionals.
Please call our Admissions at 866-303-6275 for more information.
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Sober Holidays Five Tips 2022