Holiday Stress Management

By Brandy Cordova

Stress can be a reaction to a short-lived situation, such as being stuck in traffic or running late for an appointment. Or it can last longer if you’re dealing with relationship problems, a spouse’s death or other serious situations. Stress becomes dangerous when it interferes with your ability to live a normal life over an extended period. You may feel tired, unable to concentrate or irritable, and it can damage your physical health.

According to the American Psychological Association’s Stress in American Report 2010,  “Work, the economy and money remain the most often cited causes of stress reported by Denver residents, with relationship issues and health concerns (both personal and family) increasing as significant sources of stress over the past year. The percentage of adults in Denver who characterize their own health as excellent or very good has declined significantly over the past year, and the proportion saying they have been told by a healthcare professional that they are overweight/obese or have been diagnosed with type 2 diabetes has significantly increased.”

Holiday stress statistics reported by the American Psychological Association show that up to 69% of people are stressed by the feeling of having a “lack of time,” 69% are stressed by perceiving a “lack of money,” and 51% feel stressed out over the “pressure to give or get gifts”.

So what can you do during the holidays to manage stress? Here are 6 tips to help:

1. Identify your source of stress. Look closely at your habits, attitude, and excuses. Are any of these leading to your stress? Is it lack of time? Lack of money? Pressure to give gifts to everyone you know? Do you make excuses about why you can or can’t do something? Once you know what causes your stress you can build a plan to alleviate stress.

2. Make sure you have social support. Having people you can turn to, whether it be family, friends, co-workers, church or licensed professionals, is a great way to talk about your stress and helps to release frustrations. Almost everyone needs someone in their life they can rely on when they are having a hard time. Having little or no support makes stressful situations even more difficult to deal with.

3. Prioritize and set a schedule. There are so many parties and get-togethers going on that you may feel like you need to attend all that you are invited to so you don’t hurt the invitees’ feelings. Or you may feel like you won’t find enough time to do all your shopping. Only say yes to those activities you know you will enjoy and not become stressed over, and ones that will not interfere with your schedule; commit to them, and say no to the rest.

4. Allow yourself time to relax. Not allowing yourself time to relax will intensify situations and cause more stress. There are many relaxation techniques, including breathing exercises, meditation, music, yoga, exercise, acupuncture, journaling, guided imagery or visualizations, reframing the situation with a sense of humor, finding perspective with the situation, and anything else that is a healthy outlet for relaxation.

5. Change your expectations for togetherness. Many people get sad or depressed, or feel lonely during the holidays. Even though you may feel tempted to avoid people when you feel stressed, make an effort to socialize. Meeting friends or family usually helps people feel less stressed. Understand that you are not alone. There are many people that feel just as lonely. Find a local charity that is looking for volunteers to help others. Giving your time will not only release your lonely feelings and stress, but you are helping others not feel alone and it will brighten both parties’ holidays.

6. Be smart with holiday eating. Eating too much can cause weight gain, which ultimately leads to stress. Eat foods that improve your health and well-being. For example, eating fruits and vegetables before you go for the fatter foods and sweets will help fill you up so you don’t eat as much of the bad stuff. Eat small amounts of the more fattening foods and sweets to satiate the cravings, and then stop. If you try to deny yourself all of the fattening and sugar-laden foods, eventually you will give in to the cravings and end up binging.

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Category: The Future