To be stressed during the holiday season is to be alive. Stress saps your energy, causes fatigue and increases negative thoughts that can contribute to anxious feelings.

Fortunately, there are ways to build up a healthy response to stress that can even reverse the uncomfortable feelings long after the holiday season.

The most basic and important way to mitigate stress is by taking care of yourself. It may sound simple, but your mind and body are connected in powerful ways and by maintaining your physical, emotional and mental reserves, you can prevent and manage stress. To help stimulate your relaxation response, try intentional breathing and basic meditation. Breathing exercises can help you strategically calm your body and mind, helping reduce mental stress.

In practicing mindfulness and reducing stress, you will experience lower levels of anxiety, an enhanced immune system, higher energy levels and an improved well-being. Activating a relaxation response can reduce, and even reverse, the physical, mental and emotional effects of stress – and it only takes a few short minutes each day to garner the positive benefits.

If you are struggling this holiday season and need support for things like anxiety, depression, substance use or other mental health challenges, visit ndbh.com/Resources or talk to your doctor.

These tips were derived from an article written by Jessica DuBois-Maahs, Contributor on the Talkspace blog.