Wellness U: Surviving the Stress of the Holidays

Beaver Medical Group Patient Newsletter - Winter 2004 -2005
By Dr. Ernie Medina

 

	Decorations popping up on neighbor's lawns and stores revving up for their biggest time of the year, all signal the start of the holiday season. Unfortunately, amid all the warm fuzzies of decorations and hot apple cider is the fact that stress levels increase to all-time high levels for most people. Suicide rates, alcohol and drug use, and auto accidents increase during the time between Thanksgiving and New Year. So what can you do to survive the seemingly inevitable holiday stress crunch? Follow these H-O-L-I-D-A-Y tips to manage your stress: H - Help others; help yourself. Help those who are less fortunate than yourself. Seek out organizations where you can volunteer. Doing this will help put your situation in perspective and help instill an attitude of gratitude for all the blessings that you and your family enjoy. Help yourself by getting enough sleep. This will help keep your stress levels down and your energy and immune system up. O - Only important stuff! Focus on you and your family's core values. Knowing what is really important to you will help you prioritize the demands on your time and say "No thanks" to the things that don't coincide with your family values. Learn to delegate things that don't really require your attention. Keep it in perspective-you can't do it all, so do what is truly important to you and your family. L - Lesson the cost of gifts. Overspending is directly linked to both holiday and post-holiday stress. Decide on a specific budget or amount you want to spend on gifts and then stick to it. Pay cash to avoid credit card shock in January. It's ok to tell kids that a gift request is too expensive. You don't have to buy whatever they ask for! I - Individualize. Statistics show that 40% of gifts are disliked! Strive to individualize or personalize your gifts. Putting more time and effort than money into a gift usually ends up being more valuable to the recipient. D - Don't diet; Do exercise! Now is not the time to start some fad diet. Focus on eating sensibly on most days and then enjoy yourself on the handful of holidays without guilt. Moderation is the key. To compensate for the extra goodies you'll be consuming, be sure to keep on your exercise program. Exercising will help both burn excess calories and help relieve stress. A - Anniversaries. This is a time for remembering. If that evokes sadness, express it, don't stifle it or it may return with a vengeance! Cultivate traditions for remembering. Y - Yule feel better in January. Remind yourself that the unrealistic drive to be happy all the time will soon end. While there may be a let-down in January, most people actually feel better. Remember, 'tis the season to celebrate the spirit of giving, loving, and being more kind to each other. Maybe if we practiced this all year, the holidays would be a little easier for all of us. If you need further help with stress or weight management, be sure to check out our Health Education Department for a wide variety of programs to fit your needs. Call us directly - no referral is needed! And as always, Health Education Programs are provided at no cost to our Beaver patients. Happy Holidays!
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