The holidays are the most wonderful time of the year, but they can also be pretty stressful. Between getting the perfect gifts, hosting family, working longer hours, and just trying to juggle never-ending social responsibilities, you can see why some of us can be on edge.  While stress can definitely zap the fun out of our most cherished traditions, there are some ways that we can minimize it during the holidays, with one of those ways being cannabidiol (CBD).

Why are the Holidays So Stressful Anyway?

It’s okay to admit that the holidays aren’t all magic and good cheer.  Many of us find that as we get older, the holidays bring more and more stress into our lives, and make it harder and harder to actually sit back and enjoy the traditions that we have such fond memories of.  In fact, when you think about it, the holidays do place a lot of demands on us.

Finding the Perfect Gifts

One of the best parts about the holidays is exchanging gifts with family and friends.  But, we can put enormous pressure on ourselves to find the perfect gift for everyone, which can really challenge our budgets and cause us to panic when we can’t find exactly what that special someone has been hinting that they want all year.  Gift-shopping is especially hard on those of us who aren’t in the best financial position and worry about being able to please everyone on our lists.

Hosting Holiday Traditions

There is no doubt that hosting friends and family during the holidays is a lot of work.  Traditions revolve around meals that take all day to cook, and expectations are high during the holidays.  We also have to get our homes in tip-top shape, potentially accommodate crowds of people and barely enjoy any time to sit down and relax.

Dealing with Relatives

It is alright to admit that we don’t enjoy spending time with each and every one of our relatives.  A pretty common source of stress during the holidays is spending so much time with extended family with whom we may share different beliefs and values, or whom, may simply bring a lot of stress into our lives.  And, simply having to deal with so many relatives at once can be exhausting.

Growing Work Demands

Many of us find that the holidays are the busiest times in our work lives, especially among those who work in retail.  Many end up working longer hours and dealing with more demands than usual, with strict holiday deadlines that can feel overwhelming.  The holidays are hard enough without our work schedules leaving us little time to deal with our other responsibilities. 

The Pressure to Be Festive

Not all of us can live up to the pressure to be festive and cheerful during the holidays, especially when we have difficult circumstances going on in our day-to-day lives.  Sometimes, simply trying to live up to these expectations can make us feel exhausted and emotionally drained.

Alleviating the Pressure: Use CBD for Stress!

Prioritizing yourself this holiday season is important.  While most of us can’t completely avoid holiday responsibilities of some kind or another, there are ways to scale things back to alleviate a lot of the pressure that we have come to normalize over the years.

Tip #1: Set Realistic Goals

A lot of us find ourselves volunteering to do it all during the holidays – host family gatherings, buy gifts for everyone, throw fabulous parties, and work extra hours to make our bosses happy.  But, deep down, we know that we’ve limits.  Try to set some more realistic goals so that you don’t end up burning out.  For example, instead of getting a gift for every single friend in your circle, consider doing a “Secret Santa” alternative. 

Tip #2: Learn When to Say “No”

During the holidays, the last thing that we want to do is let down our loved ones in any way.  But, many of us end up feeling overextended before we’ve made it halfway through.  It’s fine to turn down an invitation to a party, a request to work a double shift, or a request to make your famous holiday cookies.  If you’re the type of person who struggles with establishing and maintaining boundaries, this can be a great time of year to get into the habit of saying “no” without feeling lingering guilt out of the fear of disappointing someone in your life.

Tip #3: Share the Responsibilities

Similar to the above, make an effort to share responsibilities with others rather than trying to take everything on yourself.  For instances:

• Instead of offering to host and cook an entire holiday meal, consider asking each family member to contribute a side dish. 
• Instead of doing all of the holiday shopping on your own, ask your partner to split the shopping list with you. 

Tip #4: Enjoy Some Well-Deserved “Me” Time

With busy social calendars and family responsibilities, a lot of us lose ourselves during the holidays as we abandon our various forms of self-care.  But, we all need a break, and that’s why it’s important to schedule some “me” time at least once a week.  Ask yourself what it is that would fill your soul during the holidays, which may be something as simple as a long soak in the tub or an afternoon spent watching your favorite holiday movies.

Tip #5: Plan Ahead

If you have a tendency to procrastinate, this is a great time to break that habit.  A lot of holiday stress comes from feeling overwhelmed with responsibilities like gift shopping and coming up with a dinner menu at the last minute.  Learn to pace yourself.  Put aside recipes weeks ahead of time, and start getting gifts for everyone on your list little by little.  By working through your holiday responsibilities gradually, you’ll find that you have less to worry about when getting closer to those big landmark days.

Tip #6: Introduce Some CBD into Your Routine

If you haven’t yet, consider incorporating cannabidiol into your daily routine.  CBD comes from the hemp plant and offers gentle, holistic effects that can be a game-changer as you navigate this particularly stressful time of year.  We know from years of studies that CBD helps with stress and can offer a sense of balance to the body and mind.  More specifically, help bring a sense of equilibrium throughout the nervous system by regulating cortisol production and other nervous system functions involved in the body’s stress response.  Many people find the effects of CBD soothing and mellowing.  Plus, a serving daily keeps them in a state of bliss amidst the holiday pressure.

Kore Original: Something for Everyone This Holiday Season

At Kore Original, we offer top-quality, lab-tested CBD in the form of both CBD oils (tinctures) and edibles, which can both be taken daily with incredible ease.  These products contain fresh, bioavailable, and organically derived hemp extracts that may be able to keep your stress levels in check as we enter the peak of the holiday season.  While we can’t avoid all of our holiday responsibilities, we can support our body’s ability to manage our stress response.  So, we encourage you to explore our catalog and find the perfect daily product for your needs.