While the holiday season often brings joy, it also leads to increased stress for many. In fact, more than 40 percent of Americans report heightened stress during the holidays, according to the American Psychological Association.
HopeWay – a Joint Commission-accredited nonprofit mental health treatment organization – offers the following tips to help stay calm and enjoy the holidays, while managing stress and anxiety:
C.A.L.M.
- C – Create boundaries. Establish boundaries with your schedule, commitments and budget. Take a pause. Remember to breathe.
- A – Acknowledge emotions. It is okay to have various feelings related to the holidays and to experience negative emotions. By accepting how we feel, we can learn from the emotion rather than using unnecessary energy to push it away or project it onto someone else.
- L – Laugh and relax. Include time for enjoyment and play. When needed, take time out for box breathing – inhale for four counts, hold for four counts, exhale for four counts, and hold for four counts.
- M – Move mindfully. Stay physically active, be in nature, eat healthy and get adequate sleep.
If you are dealing with stress, HopeWay recommends setting and prioritizing goals, focusing on what you can control, and accepting what you cannot control.
“Stress can impact our physical and mental health. It can be compounded more during the holiday season, especially with the added pressures of financial strain, gift-giving, and more demands on our schedules,” said Dr. Alyson R. Kuroski-Mazzei, a triple-boarded psychiatrist who is HopeWay’s chief executive officer and chief medical officer.
“Taking time for self-care and recognizing when stress arises is essential. While challenges may be inevitable, managing stress effectively is vital to prevent it from negatively impacting our daily lives.”
My god, we need to be taught how to handle stress from the holidays? What a mentally weak country we have become.
And, no matter what happens during the Holidays. We all get a participation trophy.
EXACTLY! I was telling my wife about this article last night and we both laughed. This is a country full of little children looking for someone to hold their hands. Grow up.