Tis the Season of Giving

The true meaning of the holiday season can often be lost in the chaos that comes along with this season. This time of year is supposed to be geared towards helping others and giving back to those in need. This holiday season try to give back to your community and those less fortunate than you. There are a variety of volunteer opportunities in the Twin Cities. With websites like handsontwincities.org you can search for different events and opportunities that are going on around you. Another website to look at is Visit Twin Cities as it also has a list of different volunteer opportunities in the area (link below). One more great organization that can help you find a volunteer opportunity for you to be passionate about is the Greater Twin Cities United Way. All of these resources offer great ways to give back this holiday season!

Volunteering not only helps you make a difference within your community but it also benefits your mind and body. Volunteering can help counteract the effects of stress and anxiety, depression, make you happy, increase self-confidence and provide a sense of purpose. Research has found that that being helpful towards others delivers immense pleasure by increasing your feel-good hormones such as dopamine and serotonin. 

There is a large amount of need for help within our community. From organizations like Feed My Starving Children, Big Brother Big Sisters, Golden Valley Animal Humane Society and People serving People, there are hundreds of volunteer opportunities. In addition, many of these nonprofit organizations depend on volunteers so there is always opportunity to help. So if you are looking for a fulfilling way to give back this holiday season, look no further! 

To find out more ways to keep yourself happy and healthy, visit our website at oxborochiro.com. 

By: Julia Jacobson, Office Manager

Oxboro Family Chiropractic

Sources:

https://www.gtcuw.org/get-involved/volunteer/

https://www.handsontwincities.org/need/

https://www.helpguide.org/articles/healthy-living/volunteering-and-its-surprising-benefits.htm

http://visit-twincities.com/plan-your-visit/relocating-twin-cities/volunteer-opportunities-in-minneapolis-st-paul/

Relieving Holiday Stress

The holidays are a wonderful time of year when we gather with loved ones, be thankful, be cheerful, give back and show the people we are closest to that we appreciate them. However, for many the holiday season can cause stress and anxiety. Crowded holiday shopping, wrapping presents, a different holiday party ever weekend and extra guests visiting from out of town can all contribute to stress. This stress can lead to overeating, over consumption of alcohol, lack of exercise and trouble sleeping. Making sure you manage that stress in a healthy way will ensure you will have a happy holiday season. 

This holiday season try taking small breaks. Take a few minutes to yourself to close your eyes, focus on your breathing and relax. Try a meditation app like Headspace where you can adjust your meditation time based on how much free time you have. You could also give yoga a try. There are a variety of free yoga apps on the market. With the Yoga Studio: Mind & Body app you can choose from 10, 15 or 30 minute sessions, so fitting a little self care time into your schedule is easier than ever. Either way make sure to make time for yourself. 

Another effective way to relieve stress is exercise. Whether it is taking the dog for a walk, going on a short run, going to the gym for an hour or giving a new exercise class a try, getting some exercise is a proven mood booster. When you exercise it stimulates the production of endorphins which is a feel good hormone. Exercise also helps produce dopamine which can help with relaxation. Also spending time outside has positive feel good effects on your body and mind. Getting out in the fresh air and sunshine stimulates the production of serotonin which can boost your mood and make you feel calm and relaxed. 

Making sure you are maintaining a (semi) healthy diet will also help relieve some stress this season. It is okay to indulge in comfort food but make sure you are not over indulging. With busy schedules and high stress weekends it is easy to over indulge in alcohol, sugar and caffeine. Try to be mindful when making food decisions and have a majority of the food your consuming be well balanced. 

Make a list. Make a list of the people you want to buy gifts for and what gifts you would like to buy for them. Highlight the gift once you've bought it. You could even cross out the gift once you've wrapped it. This will create a visual for you and help ensure you are not over buying. Making a list will also help you stay organized. You can write down the dates of the holiday parties you have this season on this list and give yourself a time line. This may seem like a lot of extra work but the 15 minutes it will take for you to create this list will save you a lot of time in the long run. If you are hosting this holiday season a list will also help you be realistic about your priorities. 

Remind yourself that this is the season to be generous, cheerful and positive. Being generous doesn't have to be expensive. Give a compliment, pay for someone else's coffee, hold the door for someone, donate unused clothes or toys to charity, offer to help someone or be present. Spend a little extra time with that family member you don't talk to often. Challenge yourself to doing one nice thing for someone else a day. Giving and being kind is one of the best ways to be content and happy this time of year. 

To find out more ways to keeping yourself and your family happy and healthy visit our website at oxborochiro.com. 

Source: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/smart-habits-highly-successful-people/200912/7-tips-relieve-holiday-stress

By: Julia Jacobson, Office Manager

Oxboro Family Chiropractic, P.A.