7 De-Stress Techniques...when the Holidays HIT HARD!

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With a lot of business travel, busy SavvyHostMarket season, and holiday entertaining looming on the horizon, no wonder The Savvy Host has been stocking up on techniques to DE-stress!

Here's a short list of tips and tricks shared with us, or that we've discovered, for getting back our "zen".  Keep a few on file to fight off holiday hosting stress!


MUSIC
Mood music is not only for your guests! When you're under the gun prepping, setting, or cleaning, consider adding a groove to the grind with some of your favorite tunes.  Turn your agitation into the dinner party wrap-up scene from "The Big Chill" with a little Motown.  Get into creative tabletop mode with any of the Four Seasons from Vivaldi.  Music soothes our troubled soul - and when we need to find a calmer life channel, we count on Ottmar Liebert (playing as background - see the iPod on the left bar?) and his flamenco guitar to strum our karma to the right chord.

BUBBLE BATH
Close the door, turn up the steam, and get the relaxation going with a good old-fashioned bubble bath.  Find even 15 minutes for an old-fashioned "Calgon take me away" moment, and you will reinvigorate your body and soul.  Combine with a little Aromatherapy -adding fragrant oils or scented candles for a double dose of soothing...

AROMATHERAPY
Either in combination with your bubble bath, or through scented candles as you get ready, don't short change the powerful impact certain scents may have in helping to de-stress.

Here's a cheat sheet (thanks to HubPages) of de-stressing scents:

• LAVENDER - is perfect for relaxation and handling stress.  It helps the balance between mind, spirit and body. Also helps sleep, fight migraines, and combat sinus headaches.
• JASMINE - the king of the oils, it's scent is deep and sensual. Often acts like an antidepressant and helps with nerves.
• CHAMOMILE - offers relaxing benefits, just by basking in its lovely scent. It can also help with headache pain. Beware of its sedating effect!
• BERGAMOT - not only relaxing scent but also helps loosen up tight, tense muscles.
• ROSE - in the midst of chaos and high emotion, rose is a great scent to burn to help calm the storm.  Even helps with depression.
• CLARY SAGE - a very unique scent, somewhat light and fruity, yet also sweet and floral. Promotes a happy feeling - helps to ease fatigue and pain.
• NEROLI - an exotic smell, it is the scent of bitter orange. Helps to battle depression and stimulates a sense of well-being.
• SANDALWOOD - well-known for its relaxing and calming influence. Also soothes irritation, and lift depression.
• YLANG YLANG - similar to jasmine. Helps to lower blood pressure, calm anger, release tension, and ease muscles spasms.
• VANILLA - one of the most popular scents. Both relaxing and calming. And, it can be used as an aphrodisiac.

We love the Mod Lavender and Twig Colette's Candles to help destress and move into a calmer state of mind. 


CHOCOLATE

Yes - here's a good excuse to eat more chocolate ;-)  Seriously, a little chocolate offers some sugar, and helps to release endorphins.  We're thinking this is a good excuse to get our hands on the new Vosges Chocolate Bars - Black Salt Caramel (Black Hawaiian sea salt and dark chocolate), Cherry Rooibos (with real Michigan cherries!), Blood Orange Caramel (with Campari!) and Amalfi (white chocolate with lemon zest and pink peppercorns).

CHEW GUM
A perfect way to get out your frustration - without worrying about eating or drinking too much!  Chewing gum has the effect of calming the nerves while your hands and mind are occupied on other activities.  Added benefit - can also keep your mouth busy enough NOT to snap or say something you might later regret ;-)

BREATHE!

Hard to believe, but taking a simple focused break from the chaos to concentrate on deep, slow breathing can and does make a world of difference in your physicality.  Not sure?  Simply take a deep breath, hold it, and then blow out the air slowly through your mouth.  Repeat up to 10 times and see how you feel.  Need a little more instruction? Try the Square Deep Breathing Technique (take a peek at this short video demonstration from Karen Frieling for a little extra help).

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CUP OF TEA
Whether you drink herbal or china black, invigorating mint or fragrant Chai, a cup of tea always seems to lift sagging spirits.  There's a special combination of scent, warmth (soothing tired hands and throat), and the properties of the tea itself in the body. Try this trick the next time you're tense - Make yourself a pot of tea, using two tea bags. Once the tea bags have cooled, lie on the couch and place each cool tea bag over a closed eye. Lie still with the bags in place for 10 minutes.  Use in combination with the breathing techniques!  The cool bags will soothe your eyes, while the tannins in the tea reduce swelling and "bags"!

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What are your special "de-stressing" techniques? Any that you might be willing to share?  We'll grab that cup of tea just to listen ;-)

There must be quite a few things that a hot bath won't cure, but I don't know many of them.  

~Sylvia Plath,The Bell Jar