Holiday Stress: The Enemy of Your Acne Treatment Plan

The holidays are a merry time full of family and friends and, for many of us, a break from work or school. However, the holiday season can also come loaded with a significant amount of stress. Cramming for school finals or to complete work projects in time for vacation, planning for holiday travel, holiday shopping on a budget and, in many cases, preparing to host friends and family at your home are just a few of the stress-inducing activities that can layer on in the final months of the year. All these activities and more can mean an increase in stress in the lives of many people. As you know, stress is the enemy of healthy, clear skin no matter what acne treatment products you’re using! Here are some tips for making sure that holiday stress doesn’t result in holiday breakouts.

Get Organized and Make a Holiday Plan
One of the greatest causes of stress that can have a negative impact on an effective skin care regimen is the feeling that the holidays are out of control or that you can’t possibly complete everything on time. You can counteract this feeling by making an “action plan” or a to-do list with deadlines and big tasks broken down into smaller ones before the holidays start. Instead of looking at your holiday workload as one big, out-of-control situation, look at it as smaller tasks that are manageable in smaller chunks of time. As you complete them, you’ll feel a sense of accomplishment and keep your stress level from spiraling as the holidays near.

Designate “You Time” Every Day
No matter how busy you get with the holidays, be sure to designate ten to fifteen minutes of “you time” every day. This is time when you don’t think about schedules, to-do lists, holiday stress or even the general stresses of life. It’s important to do this throughout the year, but as stress mounts around the holidays, it becomes even more important to take a daily time-out. What you do during your “you time” is up to you, as long as it is relaxing and helps you unwind! Enjoy a cup of healthy, antioxidant-filled green tea. Give yourself a face mask or home facial. Listen to your favorite music. Even just lie in bed in the dark and enjoy the silence. As long as it’s time dedicated to relaxing your mind and spirit to reduce your stress level, it’s time well spent.

Don’t Give In to Emotional Eating!
Because so many of us deal with stress by eating, it’s important to resist the urge to indulge in unhealthy food. Fast foods and processed foods, which many of us eat when we’re stressed, can have a negative impact on the health of your skin and can ultimately lead to acne breakouts. It would be great if our “comfort foods” were all fresh fruits and vegetables, but unfortunately, for many of us they’re not. When you get the urge to combat stress through eating, consider taking that moment for your “you time” instead!

Remember, It’s Only a Holiday
Most important, remember that it’s just for a short time. What you do or don’t accomplish this season won’t dictate the rest of your life, the quality of your relationships with others, or your value as a person. Keep a healthy perspective on the holidays and focus on enjoying the good things: traditional foods, close friends and family, and warm feelings.

The most important part of the holidays is enjoying them—with clear, acne-free skin! Control and minimize your stress to avoid unwanted, stress-related acne breakouts.

Learn more about Murad’s best acne treatment products, including Acne Complex® as well as combination acne plus anti aging skin treatments.