How to Slow Down During the Holiday Season (And Get Everything Done!)

The holiday season is among us and with that comes added stress. This time of the year offers plenty of reasons to be stressed out and anxious; such as the gifts you haven’t wrapped, the pile of cookie exchange invites, the office parties. Unfortunately, with that amount of stress, Temporomandibular Joint Syndrome, also known as TMJ, is a common occurrence. TMJ syndrome is a disorder of the jaw muscles and nerves caused by injury to the temporomandibular joint or heightened stress. The temporomandibular joint is the connection between the jawbone and the skull. The injured temporomandibular joint leads to pain with chewing, clicking, crackling, and popping of the jaw. Dental Associates of Connecticut understands your stress and wants to help to prevent this from occurring during the holidays! Here are some tips to eliminate stress so you can enjoy those special moments with your friends and family.

  1. Stay With a Routine-

    more structure will help you get things done in a timely manner, leaving more time for the fun part of the holidays.

  2. Don’t Over Schedule-

    people want to be able to do everything and see everyone during this time. But no matter how old you are, when you create a busy schedule like that you’re likely to be stressed. Take away some of the activities or chores that aren’t necessary for right now and save them for a rainy day.

  3. Plan Downtime With Family-

    take time away from going out and have a movie night or game night with the kids.

  4. Plan Downtime for YOURSELF-

    you’ll also be seeing a lot of your family during the holidays. Plan some time for just you; all it takes is at least 5 to 10 minutes to help yourself unwind.

  5. Eat Healthy Meals-

    healthier foods are proven to help reduce stress, so while you’re serving something good for you, you’re also bettering yourself mentally.

  6. Set Budgets-

    people often spend a lot more money than they typically would during the holidays on food and gifts. However, spending too much could cause stress going into 2017, so set a limit!

We hope this helps everyone have a happier (pain-free) holiday season!