The holidays can be the most stressful time of year for many people. There's the excitement of seeing family and friends who you may not see that often. There's also often pressure in picking out that special gift or creating the perfect atmosphere with food, music and wine for everyone.
Whether you're celebrating Hanukkah, Christmas, Kwanzaa, New Year's or Three Kings Day, the added stress of shopping, decorating, cooking, cleaning and traveling can be overwhelming. This can contribute to problems associated with a variety of stress-related illnesses, including headaches, skin outbreaks, digestive tract problems, back pain, insomnia, heart attacks, high blood pressure and stroke.
The American Psychological Association and other experts offer the following tips for keeping stress at bay during the holidays:
1. Don't close yourself off from others. Be sure to make plans to spend time with family or friends.
2. Recognize that you have financial limits; make a budget for holiday spending and follow it. For many people, stress comes after the holidays - when the bills arrive for purchases they couldn't afford to make.
3. Set realistic goals. Don't expect the dinner party or decorating to be perfect. It rarely is and you are setting yourself up for failure and heartache.
4. Plan a small dinner party (rather than the stress-filled mega family gathering) and ask guests to bring covered dishes.
5. When you're feeling stressed, excuse yourself from the festivities and find a quiet place to meditate. Take 10 deep breaths and slowly release them. (Refer to our blog: 2 minute tricks that beat stress)
6. Try not to overeat or drink excessively. Alcohol may actually increase stress or lead to more stressful family encounters.
7. Volunteer at a local charity (such as a soup kitchen or homeless shelter). It's a great way to interact with members of your community and feel good about helping others.
8. If you are taking anti-depressants or other medications for emotional problems, don't change or stop your medication during the holidays. This can add stress as your body readjusts to the changes.
9. Exercise at least 30 minutes a day during the holidays. You'll be amazed at how this improves your mood.
10. Get a good night's sleep - at least 7 to 8 hours for adults.
11. Try yoga, Tai Chi or meditation classes.
12. If you feel depressed for more than a few weeks, consider seeking help from a mental health professional.
Article thanks to: YourTotalHealth
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