December 10, 2025

Stress and Holidays

Stress and Holidays

Dr. Claire Arcidiacono, ND

Holiday time can be both fun and exciting. However, it is also a time that can induce stress. As a person who has both hosted holiday dinners and attended them, I can confidently say both situations are stressful in their own way. And then there is the stress of travel. And do not get me started on gift giving! It is a lot to ponder so grab some tea or hot cocoa and let us get into it, shall we?

We all understand the different ways that holidays can trigger stress but how does this stress affect our health? Being under stress at bedtime can make it difficult to sleep at night. Both stress itself and its link to poor sleep can increase restlessness, cause a lack of motivation/ focus, and even affect our memory. Stress can also lead to muscle tension/ pain as well as trigger headaches. Chest pain and upset stomach are both common symptoms of stress. Stress can even affect your immune system, making it easier for you to get sick. Stress can also affect our mood, triggering sadness, depression, anxiety, anger outbursts and just overall a feeling of grumpiness! Being under stress can even affect your appetite and you may find yourself over or under eating. In addition to changing your appetite you may also find yourself avoiding things you enjoy such as exercise or even socializing with friends or family. Stress can increase alcohol use as well as tobacco and drug use. (1) Long term stress can even affect our cardiovascular health. For example, stress is associated with both high cholesterol and high blood pressure. Even our joints are not immune to the effects of stress! This is because stress can increase any inflammation in our body. In my experience this inflammation increases pain in our joints. Long term stress can even impact how we look by affecting our hair, skin and nails! Anyone who has ever been stressed knows it bothers our digestion leading to either diarrhea or constipation (or in some cases both). It can also affect our digestion by triggering indigestion, bloating and stomach pain. Stress can even affect how well we process our food! It can and does slow down nutrient absorption from the food we eat. Every woman knows that stress can affect hormone health and thus affect our menstrual cycle. (2)

So, what can you do to help reduce the effects of stress?

L Theanine is one of my favorite supplements for stress. Studies have found that L Theanine is immensely helpful for stress and can even help sleep quality. (3) One small Dr. Claire tip is to open the pills and put the powder right in your mouth! This makes it work faster than swallowing the pill. Please see Invite’s L – Theanine.
Phosphatidylserine has been found to help reduce stress and even reduce cortisol, the hormone that is produced when we are stressed! (4) In my clinical experience using phosphatidylserine use at night can improve sleep quality especially for those who find themselves waking up in the middle of the night. Please see Invite’s Phosphatidylserine and SuperFocus IQ.
Omega 3’s have so many benefits. One of which is helping to reduce stress on our bodies. (5) Please see Invite’s Fish Oil and Krill Oil! Just as an aside if you find that you do not like the smell of fish oil or krill oil try putting it in the fridge or even freezer! It really helps.
Magnesium is a super nutrient in my book! I cannot really name another nutrient as important to our health as magnesium. Studies have found it is particularly important for helping moderate our stress levels. (6) Invite has magnesium in our Magnesium Glycinate and Citrate formulas. There is even a powdered magnesium! Bioavail Magnesium complex can easily be added to food, but it can even be added to a warm bath. Feel free to add a few scoops to a warm bath along with some lavender essential oils for a soothing, relaxing bath.
Shilajit is a new player in the field of stress! While more studies are needed what has been done shows that shilajit can help reduce the effects of stress on our body. (7) Please see Invite’s Shilajit 50 Max.
Warm hot cocoa! Now everyone who has been under stress knows that there is nothing like a nice cup of hot cocoa. But conventional hot chocolate mixes are full of sugar. So, what can you do instead? Well, I have a fun recipe full of anti-stress goodness. Heat 1 cup of milk of choice and add 1 scoop of Cocoa Hx, 1 scoop of Whey Protein and 1 scoop of SuperFocus IQ to the milk. Mix until everything is blended. You can then place in a fun seasonal cup and if you like add marshmallows. I like marshmallows so I will add some, LOL. If you want a slightly healthier option, you can take some organic heavy whipping cream (dairy or non-dairy both work!) and add a few scoops of Reds Hx. You can then whip the cream into a homemade whipped topping!