The holidays can be stressful for many of us. There will be many times when it will feel as if your head is spinning; after all, there’s the last-minute holiday shopping, entertaining the kids when they would usually be in school, there’s dealing with visiting family members, not to mention, having to cook a big meal or several. The holidays can put anyone into a holi-daze. How can you de-stress without taking it out on your husband, your kids, or even your in-laws? Yes, it is possible. Here are some easy ways to de-stress that will have you feeling better, but also, finding the “me time” that you need to make it through the holiday season.

#5: Walking In A Winter Wonderland

If you find yourself approaching the edge of reality, where the pressure is building up, the anger is rising, and everyone is really getting on your nerves then it’s time for you to walk out and go for a walk. If you live in a colder climate: bundle up. Put on a warm jacket, or your favorite ugly Christmas sweater and get stepping. Getting out and walking for thirty minutes in the neighborhood can be the perfect release. You’ll get exposure to fresh air, the quiet of nature, and the mental energy that comes from stretching all your muscles. Walking is a fun way to reset yourself, but also a nice way to gain some perspective, even a way to transport yourself into the shoes of anyone that’s getting on your nerves.

#4: Meditation

While it takes a lot of practice and dedication to get the most of meditation, anyone that can sit quietly for fifteen minutes with their eyes closed will find their stress vanishing by the end of a session. The trick is to find a quiet place where you can escape to, sit down, not be interrupted, and lose yourself for a few minutes. Meditation is not only great for the mind, but it’s also great for the body. It’s a beauty way to reset, but also, to achieve a profound calm inside of yourself when your stress levels are at its highest. The trick is to turn off your mind, and the way you do that is to focus all your attention on the rhythm of your breathing.

#3: Quiet Time Cuddling / Sex

When things get really out of control, who better to turn to than your loved one for some special one-on-one time. Cuddling with your significant other is good for the body, good for the heart, and good for the mind. There’s nothing better than feeling safe, warm, happy, and at ease in the arms of your special one. Cuddling can also leave to deep conservations that can resolve any stress in your system and you “get it out” of your system. Cuddling can also lead to “other things” as well and is clinically proven to be an easy way to relieve stress.

#2: Read a Book

If your blood is boiling and you need to take a break, then why not hop in the car and drive to your local coffee shop, have a great cup of coffee, and play on your computer or sit quietly with a good book. Books are the gateway to knowledge and a deeper understanding of the human condition, so why not lose yourself in a book for an hour or two when you feel like everyone is against you and is conspiring to make your holidays a living hell on earth. You’ll find yourself deeply relaxed as you lose yourself in a short story or an essay and can leave you calm, happy, even sleepy.

#1: Listening to Music

Music can tame the soul, and if you’re just done with everyone and everything having to do with the holiday season, a fast way to soothe your inner savage is to put in your headphones and turn on Pandora or Spotify or your favorite music on your phone and either sit quietly in your bedroom, or head out for a quick walk or run. Music has the magical ability to make you happy, make you excited, make you laugh, but also transport you to where ever you want to be at any given time. So why not put on your favorite song or album from your teenage years and go out and think back about all the fun things you did with your friends back then; but also, think about how everyone has their own path, and about how what you did back then set you on the path to who’ve become today.

I always try to take Christmas week off of work,  this way I have time to do any last-minute running around, and then I can just relax for a few days, and this year is no different. I also usually have enough paid time off left to take off Fridays in December so I can have long weekends, but this year I missed a week of work due to illness in November, so I wasn’t so fortunate. What are some ways you plan on de-stressing this holiday? Will you be going on a vacation this season?

This post was co-written by Justin Michaels.  He loves reading, bike-riding, and listening to music.  He also loves doing freelance work for UglyChristmasSweater.com, and he loves his pajamas from there too! You can see his pajamas here.