All is Calm?!

​“All is Calm?” Really? At this time of year?

Holidays and stress seem to go hand in hand. Was this always the plan? I’m thinking not.

Can we decouple Christmas from stress? Jo Robinson and Bill McKibben seem to think it is possible. Full disclosure, I haven’t read their books (Unplug the Christmas Machine: A Complete Guide to Putting Love and Joy Back into the Season & Hundred Dollar Holiday: The Case For a More Joyful Christmas), but I certainly like the premise.

For the first time ever I am currently on a pre-holiday vacation with my family and as lovely as it is I find myself stressing out when I walk into the beautifully decorated restaurant. You see, I left our house naked — undecorated — prior to shlepping off to the early morning flight. The day before we left, I did haul out a couple boxes of jolly things, so, at least I would not have to do that part the day after stepping back off a plane, but… really? Do I really need to stress myself out to get the “right vibe” going in the few short days before Christmas proper?

I suppose it all comes down to choice. I am choosing to work a few hectic hours to make a festive and fun environment for our Christmas. You know what? That helped. That little mind set switch relieved a lot of the stress I was putting on myself.

What else can help with holiday stress? Well, on a practical note, a few years ago I invested in fabric bags*. No more buying wrapping paper and tape and ribbons and spending hours making things look just right under the tree with miles of wrapping paper, tape and ribbon … and, no more big garbage bags filled with that identical pretty wrapping paper and tape and ribbons that no longer serve any purpose. This has been an enormous time saver/stress reducer, I can tell you that.

What really helps, though, is homeopathy, of course!

Really, any homeopathic remedy that matches the symptoms of what a person is experiencing may be the best stress-reliever for that person, but generically speaking, there are a few homeopathic remedies that I have readily used in the past. Ignatia and Nux vomica are two that come quickly to mind. In fact, check out Overwhelmed for an overview of how those two remedies differ and might help.

Boiron’s Stress Calm** has been known to live in my purse during stressful times. Like all homeopathic remedies, Stress Calm is sedative free and not habit forming. And, like all homeopathic combinations, you may prefer to choose one remedy out of the lineup that suits your situation best, but this is a very helpful little grouping of 6c remedies.
From the Stress Calm package:

Aconite for restlessness and agitation
Belladonna for hypersensitivity to stress
Calendula for nervous fatigue and hypersensitivity to noise
Chelidonium for digestive symptoms caused by stress
Jequirity to relieve uneasiness (This remedy is also known as Abrus precatorius and is known to be helpful for headaches and malaise.)
Viburnum relieves nervousness and restless sleep.

The directions say to dissolve 2 tablets under the tongue three times a day until symptoms are relieved.
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We have a few more days of family vacation, then we climb back on the plane for the dreaded flight home… Do some laundry, refill the fridge, send some Charlie Brown Christmas through the speakers, trim the tree and a little corner of the house, too… plop the already wrapped prezzies under the tree and enjoy the decorated days with my boys.

​As for the stress of putting Christmas back into the boxes? That’s a whole other issue — I don’t like to enter the New Year with the house full of the old so after enjoying just a couple days of enjoying the fruits of my labor, I will pack it all up again til next year. (Well, the tree stays up, but a naked tree is not fun so I will blow up some balloons and transform the Christmas tree into the New Year’s tree.

Share some of your holiday stress busters in the comments!


Julia Coyte, CHom
Classically Practical homeopath

#wellnessawaits

​* Fabric wrap: you can purchase premade bags online, though they can be pretty expensive. I found a bunch of fun fabric and then I found a person handier than I with a sewing machine who made them into bags of various sizes, attached with bright ribbons. After a few years of happily using these bags, I now look forward to them just as much as pulling out my favorite ornaments for the tree. (I liked these bags so much I did the same thing for birthdays! I highly recommend it!)

I have also found some great old silk scarves on eBay. They may have a hole or 2 and they may no longer be fashionable around your neck but they’re great for a little fancier version of fabric wrapping!​

** I have no financial affiliation with this company, I just like their products.