The holiday season is notoriously stressful. It can also be, however, filled with joy and peace. It’s important to remember, when given the opportunity, to always choose the latter. While stress and its symptoms are easy to recognize, we must ensure that we make healthy choices in order to reduce that anxiety.

Health and wellness go far beyond good nutrition, physical exercise and rest. If we are to experience the holidays with a smile on our faces and love in our hearts, the only way to navigate is through self-love. In taking care of and loving yourself, you will be doing the very best you can for your health and well-being. In turn, you will be able to successfully take care of those around you.

Symptoms related to stress vary from person-to-person, but we can recognize them with careful examination. Doubt, worry and anxiety are all examples of fear-based thinking. This can lead to heightened mental health issues and even physical illness. Available to us are a host of mental health professionals, literature, classes and seminars all aimed at relieving our stress. There are numerous types of therapies and treatments including traditional psychotherapy and psychopharmacology.

Choosing to take care of and love yourself also means being conscious of and open to all that is available to us. This can include alternative practices utilizing philosophies from many cultures. When we experience anxiety, we can also approach it with an organic healing method, such as meditation and prayer. Other modalities include yoga, tai chi and jin shin jitsu. There are also healthcare professionals who are certified in practicing other forms of healing work, including Reiki, acupuncture and massage. The integration of both traditional and non-traditional methods of healing, along with ones own abilities and resources, is an amazing gift for ourselves in this season. Healing starts with self-love. Please choose joy and peace through the holidays and all throughout the year!

Bobbie Lynn Edwards, M.Ed, LPC, has been a state licensed psychotherapist in New Jersey for over 35 years. She has worked at two psychiatric hospitals, where she received her clinical training: The Carrier Foundation and Princeton Behavioral Health in Somerset and Mercer counties. She received her Master’s degree in Education from Keene State College in Keene, NH, along with state certifications in guidance and counseling in New Jersey, Rhode Island and New Hampshire. Over the past 10 years, she has earned her REIKI I,II&III certifications as well as coaching certifications in Health and Wellness and Corporate business and executive leadership. She has lived in Hunterdon County for the past 14 years, where she raised her two children, Amelia and Christopher, and their pet cat “Chicken.”

Location: Hunterdon County. For more information call 908-892-8978.