How to deal with stress when you have allergic asthma
With the holidays upon us, I’m feeling really stressed. And that’s not good for my breathing (or yours). If the holidays are stressful for you, too, it’s time to start putting a stress-relief plan in place. Sure, it won’t necessarily be as effective as your inhaler or other asthma treatment, but relaxing will probably help make your inhaler more effective at least.
Here’s what I like to do to reduce stress during the holidays:
1) Child’s pose. I talked about my <a href=”http://allergic-asthma-care.com/allergic-asthma-symptoms/29/reduce-allergic-asthma-symptoms-day-1/”>yoga routine for asthma</a> in a previous post, but during the holiday season I don’t always have time to do my full routine. The one pose I always make time for (at least once a day, if not twice) is Child’s Pose. It definitely helps me breathe easier, at least while I’m in the pose, and that helps me feel like I’m doing something to relax and feel better.
2) Say no more often. With so many tantalizing invitations (some of those parties sound really fun!), opportunities to volunteer, do stuff for other people (like bake cookies–my favorite), and all the regular day-to-day requirements… I’m saying yes way more often during the holiday season. And that can get overwhelming and stressful which takes its toll on my ability to breathe. So, I focus on saying no as often as possible, even if it does mean missing out on some of the fun. You might make a list of 3 experiences you must have this holiday season, and then try to say no to as many things that aren’t on that list as possible.
3) Take a break mid-day. My workload ramps up over the holidays and that can definitely increase my stress. When I start to wheeze, I know I’ve been spending too much time at the computer and that it’s time for a break (past time, actually). So, I’ve instituted “must take” breaks at 3 p.m. each afternoon. I drink a cup of tea, page through a magazine, and enjoy a quick snack. To really help your breathing, check out this list of <a href=”http://allergic-asthma-care.com/allergic-asthma-symptoms/33/reduce-allergic-asthma-symptoms-day-2/”>breathe easier snacks</a>.
What do you do to relieve stress during the holiday season? Or is it something you don’t worry about? Do you find the holiday season is hard on your breathing?