Ah, the holidays. That joyous time of year spent relaxing with family and snuggling in front of the fireplace while the snow gently falls outside.

Cut to reality as you sprint from store to store, trying to find the Western Hemisphere's last MegaUltraMightyMan action figure for your 8-year-old. And then battling traffic all the way to the airport to grab the in-laws, followed by the intense negotiations at home convincing your overdramatic high schooler to give up her room for a week so the grandparents can be comfortable there. And you haven't even started on the big holiday dinner for 22 people, including Uncle Lou, who doesn't like anything and complains about everything.

And before you know it, 11 p.m. is here. You're wide awake in bed and your mind is still racing, worrying about everything you still need to get done. Holidays, thy name is stress.

There are a number of homeopathic medicines that can help relieve the stress of the holiday season. Based on the theory that "like cures like," homeopathy addresses illnesses by using microdoses of substances that cause the very same symptoms from which they are suffering. For example, a patient with nervousness would take a medicine made from a microdose of green coffee bean.

"Stress and sleep issues go hand-in-hand. Too much stress can make us anxious and tense, thus leading to sleep problems," says Joette Calabrese, HMC, CCH, RSHom (NA), an American homeopath, author, and mother of three.

Even for the most calm and outgoing persons, the holidays can be an adjustment. Having your homeopathy arsenal at arm's length and determining the right medicine will help your family thrive throughout the season, according to Calabrese.

Sleeplessness with worries or even happy anticipation for the big event calls for Coffea cruda. "It's tailored to someone who simply can't fall asleep upon retiring," Calabrese says.

If there is conflict during your holiday preparations and it's taking up "too much space in your brain," then Calabrese recommends Ignatia amara as the remedy that relieves symptoms of stress with hypersensitivity to pain, smell, emotions, and stress, improved by distraction.

Frantically running from errand to errand can leave you feeling both physically and mentally exhausted. Kali phosphoricum relieves physical and intellectual fatigue due to overexertion, with sleeplessness and headaches. "When nervous excitement or worry causes sleeplessness, it may help to calm the mind, and therefore, you will sleep better," says Calabrese.

Are you feeling apprehensive about hosting a holiday party and don't feel like you have enough time to prepare? Argentum nitricum helps relieve stress marked by apprehension, agitation, and heartburn.

If you're flying to visit friends and loved ones and you're feeling so nervous that you're trembling, try Gelsemium sempervirens. It also helps if you have a headache. "So, when a child becomes sick before a school play or an event or a teen is worried about an exam, or if you have a presentation at work, Gelsemium can help provide relief," says Calabrese. 

 

For an all-around stress reliever, non-habit forming, non-drowsy Sedalia from Boiron temporarily relieves nervousness, hypersensitivity, and fatigue due to stress. For sleeplessness, occasional awakening, and restless sleep, Quietude works to restore a natural sleep pattern without side effects.

Use Boiron's Medicine Finder app ( BoironUSA.com/app) to pinpoint your symptoms and find the right medicine in just three clicks.