Yep, it’s that time of year again.

It’s cold and dark and you just want to stay home and chill. And yet you have work, family, friend obligations: get-togethers, dinners, holiday parties, gift-exchanges, etc. Gah! We see it year after year how stressful this time can be. Which is why we love doing a round-up of our favorite “Stress-Less” tips to encourage you to lean into the rhythm of the season (with a sprinkle of holiday cheer). Of course, our biggest Stress-Less tip is scheduling time for some acupuncture – for a moment of adrenal rest and respite and to help you get through the closing of this decade.

Olivia Brann, Administrative Assistant

Painting or drawing can help a lot when it comes to de-stressing. A lot of people say “I’m not an artist” when the truth is they just haven’t found their favorite medium! I would say practicing with different mediums: pen, pencil, crayon, paint is important as well as different materials. You don’t need fancy items to be an artist and there’s a used art supply store in fed hill. Art is a great way of releasing pent up emotions and it’s important to remember you don’t have to show it to anyone. Art isn’t meant to be a form of validation art is for you. Just like your life is yours. It’s beautiful just the way it is. So grab a cup of your favorite beverage and go for it! No matter what you create it will be beautiful because it comes from you. Don’t believe me? Ask Frida Kahlo, “I am my own muse. I am the subject I know best”

Jan Bull, Acupuncturist

  • Emphasis on the being together not the getting stuff. Games, reading funny stories out loud. Getting the laugh on with each other. Dancing. Put out a 2500 piece puzzle on a large table area that people can come in and out of as they please over several days.
  • Putting funny clues on the gifts.
  • Spread out the responsibility for cooking…everyone can pitch in their specialty.

Anjuli George, Acupuncturist

One of my favorite winter wellness practices is a steaming hot tub soak with Epsom salts and essential oils*! While I run the water, I try to tune into my body and see which parts feel the most chilled, physically or otherwise. Then when the water is just right, and I let myself sink in, I get to feel all those parts getting warmed right up. I try to pay attention and notice how those parts feel, how much time I need in the bath, and when it feels like I’ve had enough warmth and I’m ready to get out. It so helpful for sore muscles, hearts, and busy minds with long to-do lists.
*pro tip for essential oils in the bath: add a few drops to the bath salts in a separate dish before you add to the bath so the oils have something to bind to and they can dissolve more evenly instead of floating up to the top! Happy soaking, friends!

Kara Gionfriddo, Administrative Assistant

  • One of my favorite winter and holiday traditions from the past years has been hosting cozy gatherings at home rooted in relaxing, getting comfortable, spending time with others reflecting on the year past, and tapping into our guidance for the year to come. To me, these have become a complement to the higher-energy parties or big family gatherings that we also find ourselves at this time of year. I love to trim a Christmas tree (or whatever else you like!) with popcorn, de-seed pomegranates while hanging and laughing, and invite people to bring poems or other things to share while cozying together on rugs and pillows. Like the indoor equivalent of sitting around the campfire, sinking in, and talking into the night. It’s also really nice when the work of preparations and hosting melds into the medium for getting people together.     
  • I second suiting up and getting active outside in the cold! Last week I found myself methodically stacking wood in an outdoor woodpile. Despite the freezing weather, within a short time my body was warm and energized! I really liked pausing to notice the ice crystal patterns on some rocks sitting nearby and checking out which birds were still around the house.

Kim Hennessee, Clinical Director

  • I might say this every year but David Sedaris’ Holidays on Ice is always pulled out and left on the coffee table this time of year. Anything that evokes laughter during a season which is meant to be about joy but often times feels burdensome is welcome to me!
  • The Druid Hill Solstice Celebration to support the Druid Hills Farmers Market is happening at the Rawlings Conservatory on December 21 complete with roaring fire, roasting marshmallows and music all focused on the winter solstice. You can create your own “Winter Solstice Resolution” for the new year and burn it along with holly leaves in the solstice fire! This looks like a beautiful way to celebrate the most yin time of year and supports a good cause.

 Sarah Humpal, Acupuncturist

Instead of buying gifts, do a swap. Have everyone bring things that they no longer use anymore, put them in a central area, and let folks take what they like and donate the rest. This is particularly great for adult families or colleague groups. It can have the silly guffaws of a white elephant gift exchange with the nice feeling of reusing and giving things you don’t use new life. 

Jaime Kauffman, Director of Client Experience & Outreach

  • Chill out, outside and with friends (and/or family)! Instead of a late night with whiskey and eggnog, invite a group out on a daytime nature walk. It’s so nice to spend time with a crew of your favorite people, soaking up some Vitamin D, breathing in crisp fresh air, among the trees.
  • Pack up the car and check out one of the Holiday Light Displays in Maryland. Bring or buy prismatic glasses to makes the experience even more amazing.
  • Bring a bud with you to Community Acupuncture. 🙂

Alexandra McElwee, Acupuncturist

  • Holiday gift shopping while supporting local makers at the Greater Goods Holiday Market @ R. House on Saturday, December 14th from 11-4. I will be there with my handmade fiber arts – weavings, garland and handwoven ornaments!
  • Also, a favorite holiday book of mine is called The Best Christmas Pageant Ever by Barbara Robinson. My family has a tradition of reading this every Christmas Eve. It’s a short read that’s good for some laughs and heart warms. I have always had a secret hope that Wes Anderson will make it into a film.December feels like a month of additions. Rather than adding, I like to look at what I can subtract. This month I only add that which feels nourishing and connected (vs obligatory or draining). But primarily I look to remove. Prompts this month: “nothing new”, “less is more”, “what can I cut?”,  “what on my calendar can I push to January?”

Clare Nicholls, Office Manager

If you have friends and family that would appreciate a charitable gift in their name rather than more stuff, here are some ideas:

  • National Bail Out: a black-lead organization building a community-based movement to end systems of pretrial detention. https://nationalbailout.org/ 
  • No More Deaths/No Más Muertes: activists providing humanitarian aid, search & rescue operations, and legal aid to migrants, refugees and residents of southern Arizona and northern Mexico. https://nomoredeaths.org/donate-money/
  • Baltimore Harm Reduction Coalition: a community-based organization that mobilizes community members for the health, dignity, and safety of people targeted by the war on drugs and anti sex-worker policies. http://baltimoreharmreduction.org/
  • Baltimore Ceasefire: a grassroots movement dedicated to ending violence in Baltimore. https://baltimoreceasefire.com/

Aubrey Lewis, Acupuncturist

  • Suit up (cover wind gate!) for “winter wonderland” walks, even when the weather is cold, rainy/snowy, or blustery. It is nice to lean into the extreme weather changes and see the same routes with a renewed perspective. 
  • Cooking can be relaxing and such a rooted connection to the season. Use lots of citrus! I love making stews, baking root vegetables (or airfrying parsnip “fries”), slow roasting salmon with fennel/chiles/citrus, etc.
  • Healthy boundaries around social engagements and family gatherings. It can be wonderful to spend time with loved ones, but it is OK to say no. Many people get anxious about “having to be around” certain family members. My advice: if you know you are going to go, establish your boundaries beforehand, walk yourself through the situation, and know that you are in complete control. 🙂

Sarah O’Leary, Owner

  • Consider a no-sugar December. It takes the guess-work out of if you will grab that candy cane or not. Plus, sugar feeds cold-flu viruses and makes you more likely to get the holiday sicks.
  • Night walks! This time of year I tend to get a bit more sedentary (it’s cold out!). To keep me and my kids moving I encourage us all with a “holiday lights hunt” in the neighborhood. 

Jessica Resch, Acupuncturist

  • Take a trail walk in nature at dusk; this natural transition from day into evening is a magical shift for me, a time to release the day and unwind.
  • Celebrate the Winter Solstice with friends around an outdoor fire, set intention for the new year.
  • Go to bed early! Stay in bed late! 
  • Simplify the gift giving – plan and share a family adventure instead of gifts!

Dana Robinson, Acupuncturist

Take time to appreciate low-stimulation environments. I love Christmas lights, holiday music, and scented candles as much as the next person, but the depths of winter isn’t really the time to be blasting your senses with intensity. Use low, natural-spectrum lighting in your house and let things get dark as the evening goes on. Turn off unnecessary electronics and listen to the wind at night. And then, when you do open up the cider or turn on the lights, the contrast can be even more meaningful. 

Amanda Schulz, Billing Director

Something about the colder weather and longer nights makes me remember how much I love to crochet. There is something so cozy and calming about the process of crocheting; even though I’m not at all skilled at it, I love the feeling of yarn on my lap as I create a slightly-crooked scarf to give as a holiday gift. Lovely Yarns in Hampden has a beautiful selection of yarn and friendly staff who enthusiastically answer any questions I have. 

Ida Zakin, Patient Care Coordinator

A walk in the chilly air, crunching fallen leaves with each meditative step, helps slow down the season’s busy-ness for me. One of my favorite places to enjoy the chilled air is the Bon Secours Retreat & Conference Center in Marriottsville…a walking meditation on their labyrinth, and cairn-building in their Peace Garden. Magical! 

Sarah Zanolini, Acupuncturist

  • Echoing Jessica –  sleep early, and wake with the sun.
  • Holidays come with many extra social engagements, which can be challenging for introverts. Reward yourself for these by building in alone time working on a hobby, reading a book, or cultivating a little extra hygge (coziness) in your home/surroundings. 
  • Take time to appreciate low-stimulation environments. I love Christmas lights, holiday music, and scented candles as much as the next person, but the depths of winter isn’t really the time to be blasting your senses with intensity. Use low, natural-spectrum lighting in your house and let things get dark as the evening goes on. Turn off unnecessary electronics and listen to the wind at night. And then, when you do open up the cider or turn on the lights, the contrast can be even more meaningful. 

And, of course…

A gift card to Mend!