The run up to the year-end can get pretty stressful. Shopping for Christmas, tasks and reporting deadlines have to be completed before the year is out.

Social media gets filled with posts about goals for the coming year instead of focusing on ending the current year on a high note.

Suddenly you are wondering where the days are going.

If you’re struggling to stay on top of your game, then read on for 3 easy ideas to avoid what I call the December melt-down.

Simple Tension Buster Exercise

I use this exercise whenever I feel stress building up. It helps to release muscle tension triggered as a stress response.

• Stand relaxed, arms hanging at sides and feet about one foot apart.

• Tilt head back and hold for five seconds

• Roll head forward and hold for five seconds.

• Curl chest and stomach forward as you bend at the waist; arms dangling for five seconds.

• Inhale slowly through mouth as you straighten up. Raise arms overhead; drop arms slowly to sides as you exhale slowly though your mouth.

Feeling you need support? Drop me a line at http://karmicallycoaching.com/connect. Let’s see how we can work together to get that stress under control.

The Social Law of Community Support

Social support is a well-recognized way for people to deal with stress.

It can take the form of informal groups.

For example, young mothers who meet up to share their problems and get support from other mothers. These group members are either also going through the experience or are a few steps ahead in dealing with newborns.

It can also be a more formal group of small business owners and study circles to name a few.

This is a powerful two-way method for receiving and giving social support.

Here are some ideas to increase social support for yourself and others:

Join a club or group with similar interests to your own.

Make a coffee or lunch date to do meet up with a friend or colleague who can motivate and support you and vice versa.

Speak kind words to family and friends—those we love most are often those we treat the worst.

Practice being a good listener. Strive to be “other centered”

Drop a line to someone you have not been in touch with and reconnect. Let them know they are not forgotten even if you have been out of touch.

Time Tackle Tips

When time is in short supply, stress seems to grow. Lately, I’ve been seeing a spurt of articles in newspapers about stress and stress management.

There are also lots of posts about productivity and time management. Focus seems to be the in word and it is indeed important.

Are you in a situation where you need to multi-task? Make sure you pick up my tips on how to do it effectively.

If time is becoming a stressful issue for you then check out my Time Management posts.

Pick up some additional tips from my book Eight tested Commandments for Time Management.

Now it’s your turn. Knowledge and experience become tenfold when shared.

Do you have any special tips for handling December melt-downs? 

PS. Instead of focusing on quick remedies, why not build your resilience to stress the whole year? That’s where Chakra Balancing helps. Watch the video below and decide if it’s something you want to try.

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Photo Credit : Pop-Art by Piotr Siedlecki

Written by Vatsala Shukla