Oh the holidays! So much love, joy, togetherness but at the same time, so much stress, anxiety, chaos and 'people' to deal with.

Whether you're having people at your home, traveling to a loved ones house or just going along for the ride, here are some tips and tricks to stay cool, calm and collected.

Firstly, let’s clear on something here. Anxiety, panic, and that overwhelming sense of fear are FIRE and WATER elements. I would throw in the Earth element here since it's negative state is worry BUT most worrying is a result of FEAR, and fear is a negative water element state.

We must obtain close to perfect balance in order to keep our shit together and stay healthy, otherwise an element will get thrown off course.

WATER & FIRE ELEMENT

Our water element pertains to our creativity, our masterful thoughts, our rest at night, as it is both birth and death that takes place here. Water nourishes our body, mind, spirit and stores our essential energy. It keeps our blood and body fluids moving too! Water is such a key element during these times, we don't want to become rigid and consumed with thought, we want to let our creativity flourish and keep our energy flowing.

Some symptoms of an imbalanced water element are:

Emotionally withdrawn
Irritable
Pessimism
Suspicious of other people's motives
Tendency to be unforgiving
Tendency to withdraw or isolate yourself when stressed or overwhelmed
Absentmindedness
Procrastination
Excessive criticism of other people's behavior
Depression
Lack of motivation and willpower
AND MORE!!!!

Dry nose and throat
Lack of energy or stamina
Loss of appetite
Difficulty falling asleep or insomnia
Lower back pain
Headaches behind the eyes or where the skull and neck meet
Cold hands and feet
Weakness in the knees
Hypersensitivy to light or loud noises
Weak, stiff spine with generation of disks and cartilage
Antisocial tendencies

Our Fire element lights our passion, love, warmth and light. Sometimes we have too much fire which creates grounds for anxiety and panic, or too little fire which leaves us exhausted, tired and weak. Our fire element relates to our heart, pericardium, triple heater, and small intestines, so its important to keep the element in balance especially in times that can be overwhelming.

Some symptoms of an imbalanced fire element are:

Restless, agitated, explosive energy
Extreme anxiety or restlessness
Inability to concentrate
Mood swings
Lack of creativity
Emotional instability
Forgetfulness
Muddled thought processes
Loss of passion
Intense need to be accepted
Tendency to go off in several directions at once

Excessive perspiration and a tendency to over heat
Hot flashes
Rapid or irregular heartbeat
Palpitations
Chest pains
Sleep disturbances such as insomnia, restless sleep or waking up early
Skin irritations
Digestive problems
Exhaustion
Lightheadedness

Let's talk about some ways to keep our Water and Fire, our fear and our anxiety, in check.

Honor the Element's time of day
- Water's hours are 3pm - 7pm. This is when we should be regenerating our energy, napping, relaxing, or just enjoying a meal. If you're feeling drained during these hours, your kidney's energy is probably running on low. Try to use these hours, even if its just 30 mins, to recharge and use some of the remedies suggested below.
- Fire's Hours are 11am - 3pm and again from 7pm - 11pm. This is the only element that appears twice during the 24 hour cycle. Use this to get fired up, get motivated, get shit done during these hours. It is also very important to rest, fire loves to burn bright and thrives on excitement and stimulation so make sure you settle fire down during water's hours. If you feel exhausted during the times of 11am-3pm you may have a fire imbalance.
Calming Breath (excellent for both Fire and Water imbalances)
- Calming Breath can be used whenever you are feeling anxious, tense, or need to relax.
- Start by exhaling completely.
- Close your mouth, inhale through your nose for a count of 5. As you breath in imagine a pure, white light coming in through your nose and lighting up your whole body with its cleanliness.
- Hold your breath for 20 counts as you keep this vision of yourself being lit up with purifying, white light.
- Exhale for 10 counts and visualize all of the negative, toxic energy in your body being released.
- Repeat for a total of 3-5 mins, about 2 cycles per min.
Meditate
- Water loves silence, solitude and spiritual growth. Fire will feed your anxiety and panic, so meditation may be needed to calm the heck down. Meditation will help you let go of your thoughts and feel your emotions without being attached to them. You must calm, align, and center!
- Download my meditation below.
Exercise! Even if its just for 15 mins!
- Partake in Fire activities. Run, jog, bicycle, brisk walking, use work out machines, do HITT exercises, dance, or shake it out. By breaking a sweat you release the fire and balance the water.
- Practice yoga: Yoga will increase the flow of water and allow your fire to calm. There are so many free yoga videos on youtube, do just 15 mins a day during the holidays to keep your body and mind calm.
Natural Helpers
- Flower Essences - PLEASE SEE LIST BELOW!
- Organic Cinnamon or Clove Powder/Tea - This warms the body, great for those for who have water imbalances or fire deficiencies. Cinnamon and clove can expel an early onset of colds/flus, and warms the kidneys chi.
- Organic Angelica Root Extract/Loose Dried Herbs - Nourishes the blood and blow food, and is great for symptoms such as dizziness, palpitations, poor memory, fatigue and insomnia. Excellent for those with fire imbalances.
- Organic Cherry Tea/Juice - Get for your stomach, kidneys and heart (earth, water, fire). Cherries will nourish your kidneys alleviating a sore back, weak knees and a lack of energy. It also nourishes the blood. This is great for both fire and water imbalances.
- Organic Hawthorne berry - Hawthorn berry will dilate the blood vessels, improves blood circulation and lowers blood pressure. It is an adaptogenic herb so it will adjust according to your needs helping you to adapt to physical, emotional and environmental stress. Another great herb for people with fire imbalances.
- Organic Ginseng Tea - Ginseng is a very powerful herb that will fire up your metabolism, increase energy and relieve general weaknesses. It also clears HEAT in the body, so this is great for people suffering from Fire imbalances.
Schedule a massage or some other form of self-care where you can relax!
- Lord knows you've earned it. Add some self-care to the chaos to help yourself relax!