Painfree Holiday Planning Guide

From joy and excitement, to overwhelm and chronic pain, the impending holiday season can bring about a wide array of feelings. If you are worried about experiencing some of the less pleasurable sensations – we’re looking at you stress and back pain – we have a comprehensive guide to help you plan a painfree holiday.

Set a Budget for Your Festivities

Nothing brings on a tension headache faster than watching your bank account dip into the red. According to an article in Forbes, Americans find themselves over $1,000 in debt each year around the holidays. With some financial planning and thinking ahead, you can curb impulse spending and avoid surprises.

• Plan and shop ahead - Don’t let the season sneak up on you and wreak havoc on your wallet. When you plan ahead and spread your shopping  over several months, you won’t feel as big of a hit and impulse purchases are easier to avoid.
  

• Lists are your friend - Whether you’re a tech-savvy, spreadsheet kind of person, or you prefer chicken scratch on the back of take out menus, a list will keep you focused on what you intend to purchase. Having ownership over what you plan to spend will reduce the stress that may happen when you see your receipt at checkout.   
  

• Save for next year - Start tucking away money now and make it a routine. Pulling $25 a week and setting it aside will add up to $1,200 in a year. Having this cash on hand allows you to start ahead and rest assured that you aren’t spending money you don’t have.
  

• Memories last longer than gifts - Nothing feels greater than seeing the gifts you saved for – and spent hours hunched over wrapping – end up broken or gathering dust in a corner. Gifting your family with an experience will bring you closer and provide you with memories for a lifetime.

Keep Up With Self-Care

It’s so easy to get caught up in the spirit of giving, but it could cost you the ability to enjoy the holidays yourself. You want to keep up with a self-care routine that keeps both your body and mind at maximum capacity so that you can stay in a celebratory mood. Some self-care routines to focus on include:

• Exercise - Keep up with a regular exercise routine that suits your lifestyle. Whether you prefer daily walks or an intense spin class, movement is a proven way to keep both physical and mental pain at bay. It is also the perfect time to get away from all of the to-dos and be in the moment.
  

• Eat, drink, and be merry - That is; eat healthy, drink plenty of water, and indulge a little too. The key here is balance. If you get a little too heavy handed with the spiked egg nog, chances are you’ll feel it in the morning. However, if you keep your blood sugar balanced with nutrient dense foods and stay on top of water intake, you may still be able to indulge while minimizing the yucky feeling later.

• Make time for you - Carve out some time for a nice bubble bath or curl up with a good book. A little down time can go a long way in preventing holiday burnout and some of the aches and pains that come along with it.

• Don’t ignore the aches and pains! - If you are noticing persistent aches and pains, don’t blow it off until it gets out of hand. Listen to your body and slow down if that is what you need to do. Recruit family and friends to help you with some of the tasks of planning your festivities, and save a little energy to focus on keeping your body happy. Nibble on a delectable bar of Painfree Chocolate, and let someone else dress the turkey for once!

With a delightfully light chai flavor, Painfree Chocolate contains a complex blend of time-tested natural ingredients like turmeric, white willow, arnica and the clinically proven benefits of hops extract, in a base of naturally vegan and gluten-free, ethically sourced dark chocolate. It is the perfect blend to make your spirits bright!

Prioritize Sleep

Adults need an average of 7-9 hours of sleep per night for optimum health. That’s really hard to pull off when your to-do list is a mile long and you have to figure out how to fit a dozen family members around a table that typically seats eight. But when push comes to shove, a good night’s sleep will help you tackle these things more efficiently in the long run.

If you tend to have a hard time nodding off at night, try to stick with relaxing activities before bed. A nice cup of tea with a little Sleepy Chocolate will deliver some soothing botanicals to get you snoozing in no time at all. An added bonus is that it doubles as an extra dessert.

Relax and Be in the Moment

As stressful as this time of year can be, we stress because we want everyone around us to have a good time. Making a conscious effort to step back and take it all in gives us an opportunity to remember what it is all about. Even if a meal isn’t perfect, or you forget something on your shopping list, it will all work out in the end. Sometimes the little accidents actually make things more memorable and light-hearted.

If you need a little extra help keeping your calm when stress levels start to rise, nibble on a few squares of Carefree Chocolate and let the soothing botanicals work their magic.

We love nothing more than helping you enjoy the season a little more! Find a curated bundle that fits your health realities and see the difference for yourself.

Also, look out for Painfree Chocolate to help alleviate common aches and pains.