KEEP CALM IT’S CHRISTMAS!

Keep calm it’s Christmas…

It’s that time of year were your to do list has been as long as your arm and the overwhelm of it all starts to creep in. Hopefully once Christmas Day and Boxing Day have passed things may start to settle down a little bit.

BUT…

If you are prone to palpitations or fluttering feelings in your chest then you need to first become aware of the physical signs and symptoms of anxiety. Others can include sweaty palms, a fast or obvious pounding heart beat or you may feel a sensation of unease rising from the pit of your stomach.

Anxiety can be rife at Christmas.

Christmas brings with it financial implications, travel logistics, food lists, table seating plans, presents to wrap, cards to write and then some. It is an exhausting time of year that can easily send those plates you are spinning when juggling your day to day life into outer orbit.

If you have children, you may have already been to school christmas fairs, panto’s and nativities to name just a few. It could even be your social calendar is full to bursting with christmas parties and gatherings galore. It’s no wonder we tend to all go into slight overwhelm overdrive at Christmas time.

keep calm it's christmas

So how do we keep calm at Christmas?

We need to first recognise the signs of stress, unease, tension or anxiety being present.

Then we must take time out to BREATHE.

And by that, I mean really FOCUS on your breathing.

Really pay attention to where you are breathing in to your body. Chances are you will be breathing short, shallow breaths into the top of your shoulders and upper chest area if you are having a momentary panic.

 

The magic of breathing is that it is an automatic, unconscious process that for the majority of us, we don’t often pay attention to HOW we do it at all. We just breathe.

 

And so, here’s the wonderful part…

 

If we focus on drawing air into our lungs deeper towards our lower rib region, magical things truly happen. We increase our oxygen input which will boost your circulation and blood flow around your body. This helps you to feel energised and refreshed.

By breathing deeper, we can make our breathe longer and a really nice technique is to breathe in for the count of four to help really slow the breath down.

This brings with it an instant sense of calm.

Try to also breathe out to the count of four, lengthening both the In and Out breaths.

img_2812If you struggle to get a good in breathe as many people with respiratory problems or anxiety attacks do, then focus initially on blowing the air out of your lungs slowly.

This releases the excess carbon dioxide and will help you to automatically improve your oxygen intake between breaths. You may also want to adopt a forwards lean position with your body to let gravity help you breathe out easier.

Breathlessness or being short of breath can be a frightening phenomena but it can be managed and controlled with the correct breathing techniques.

 

So, in the build up to Christmas I encourage you to really focus on where your breath is entering and exiting from your body.

Recognise early warning signs of stress and anxiety and  breathe deeply.

Your body is amazing.

Use your vessel wisely and it really does work wonders for you.

All calm can be restored even at Christmas.

So remember to keep calm it’s christmas

For more brilliant tips relating to your physical health and mental well  being come and join me on my Facebook page Marie Fell – The Pilates Physio or you can read more of what’s on my blog <<<here>>>.