Make your hols stress free!

At its core, going on holidays is supposed to relax you and take you out of your everyday environment.

With tens of thousands of holidaymakers planning to ‘staycate’ in Ireland this year, Dr Sinead Beirne, GP and member of Virgin Media’s 'Doctor in the House', has put together seven invaluable tips to help ensure a stress free and relaxing staycation for everyone this summer.

Exercise

The free drug with no side effects! Dr Beirne says exercise is the treatment of choice for mild to moderate anxiety.

“I always recommend it to my patients. My personal favourite is walking. You can do it into your 90s!”

Sleep

Time away is great to catch up on your sleep debt, and according to Dr Beirne, we should all put away our phones, turn off our computers and employ a wind-down period before going to sleep. Also, avoid caffeine after 6pm.

Reduce alcohol

Drink water between alcoholic drinks, practice moderation and keep the focus on family and friends and remember the reason for the gatherings.

Practice mindfulness

Whether you’re using an app on your phone or just taking ten minutes by yourself, Dr Beirne says pay attention to the present moment, without judgement. You’ve got to practice it to perfect the art!

Reduce junk food

The odd treat is fine and you should suspend some rules just for the holidays but do also try to continue to make good food choices. Try to avoid suggestions of junk foods like soft drinks, biscuits, chips and pizza. Instead, try to plan and keep healthy snacks at hand for him throughout the day.

Have a mantra

When things appear overwhelming, have your own mantra to soothe yourself like, “I can, I can and I will”.

Try a probiotic

“Zenflore contains the 1714-Serenitas culture which has been shown to reduce stress-related behaviours and improve stress responses and cognitive function,” says Dr Beirne.