Santa Psycho

Jingling bells, loud conversation, food guilt, your annoying relatives—this can all lead to some holiday jeers. We don’t want that to happen. So, we’ve turned to an expert (because we aren’t) to help us get through this thing without strangling someone.

Dr. Alok Trivedi is a psychological performance and human behavior expert. Oh, and he’s the founder of theAligned Performance Institute. How fancy. He obviously knows stuff. Here’s his tips to stay calm during this time of year.

It’s ok to be Scrooge: If you just can’t get into the spirit of the season, don’t beat yourself up. The reality is that not everybody gets all excited over the holidays. Society makes you feel bad if you’re not into it, but it’s perfectly okay if you don’t. Stop judging yourself and don’t let other people get you down.

Make time for solitude: The holidays bring more demands for our time. Its parties, outings, travel, religious services, people staying in our homes and more. Some people love this but others not so much. It’s important to carve out time to be by yourself. Even as little as 30 minutes per day can have tremendous benefits. Do something you truly enjoy or just soak in the peace and quiet.

Avoid emotional eating: This time of year, food is in abundance. Many of us tend to eat to handle the emotional chaos instead of addressing it. This only adds pounds and makes you feel even worse. If something is bothering you, don’t turn to food. Address it no matter how insignificant it may seem.

Communicate with family & friends: Although the holidays are a stressful time, it’s people’s inability to communicate and make assumptions that gets them into trouble. It’s important to be on the same page as your family and friends otherwise there’s going to be resentment and chaos. Make an extra effort to communicate better and listen to others. 

Know your limits: Life is challenging enough without having to worry about the holidays. Be realistic in terms of what you can and can’t handle. It’s nice to want to make yourself available to everything and everyone, but it’s also unrealistic and going to take a toll on your mental and physical health. Keep a calendar and stick to it. Learn to prioritize things and remember, there’s nothing wrong with saying ‘no.’

Have more sex: Yes, seriously! Sex is the most natural high in the world that releases feel-good chemicals in the brain. It can help boost your mood; reduce stress, worry and anxiety; help you stay connected with your partner; and it’s good exercise.

While we like this last point—a lot. We at Crack Wise sense things could go terribly awry.

First: Playing grab-ass at the dinner table with your third cousin twice removed is probably a no-no.

Second: Trying the “Sex is good exercise” may work on dudes at the bar, but probably not on the ladies. Plus, WTH are you doing that sex = exercise? Bench pressing buns? Using the fun bags as punching bags? Face squats?

Third: We don’t think you can actually secure a doctor’s note for this. Don’t try to. The authorities may escort you out of the building.

via GIPHY

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