As the holiday season quickly approaches, many people’s schedules get more crowded and stress levels begin to rise. If you'd love to enjoy your holidays without the stress, start a proactive approach now by incorporating these 5 stress-relieving tips into your daily routine:

1. Take a good multivitamin and mineral supplement every day. Deficiencies of magnesium, zinc and the B vitamins can decrease your ability to cope with stress.

2. Listen to some good tunes. Music therapy has been shown to help decrease stress in people before surgery and other stressful situations. Pick your favorite type of music, make a few playlists, and rotate them around during this busy season.

3. Surround yourself with pleasant scents. Sure, the holidays are full of pumpkin spice, gingerbread and peppermint, but lavender and rosemary essential oils have been proven effective in decreasing stress levels. Consider lighting a candle at home when the stress ramps up, or keep a small bottle of essential oil and a few cotton balls in your car for a quick de-stress.

4. Consider hypnosis. Hypnotherapy has been shown to be effective at decreasing overall stress, anxiety and tension headaches. Scientific studies show results lasting up to three years from just a few sessions.

5. And you knew we were going to say it – exercise. Take a 30-minute walk with a friend, your favorite tunes or audiobook. Yoga and tai-chi are two low-impact exercise forms with a meditative component that can do double-duty for distressing. DVD’s you can pop in at home can now be found at Target and other popular stores. Another good source for home exercise videos is collagevideo.com. Regular exercise improves mood, helps sleep, decreases PMS, and reduces mortality. Need we say more?

Here’s wishing you a joyous, safe, low-stress holiday season.

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