The holiday season is meant to be a time of celebration with friends and family. However, the holidays can be an especially stressful time. For many, there is pressure to create the perfect occasion, which can trigger emotional stress, economic stress, and/or feelings of isolation. For others, the holidays signal the passage of time, memories or loss that can evoke certain emotions that may lay dormant during the course of the year.
Did you know that 88% of Americans feel the holidays are the most stressful time of the year?
To manage the excess stress felt throughout the season, it is critical to continue healthy physical and mental habits, such as regular exercise and meditation. It is easy to fall out of these behaviors when getting into the swing of the season with shopping, parties and gathering with loved ones. Making quality time for yourself, however, should continue to be a priority. When anticipating the stress of the holidays, self-care is the most important gift to give yourself, and we should always be checking in with ourselves when it comes to our mental and physical well-being.
During festive occasions, food and alcohol become a regular theme to enjoy with friends and family or indulge in on your own. Especially with excess stress, it is important to be mindful and have a plan set for yourself in advance. Just like you would for shopping, it is important to “budget” prior to the holidays. For example, swapping sparkling water or a non-alcoholic beverage in between drinks at dinner parties or planning for the number of drinks or sweets to partake in. If you have a goal set for yourself during stressor events, you are more likely to adhere to the set goal. What’s more, it is important to stick with the same habits year-round. Humans are “creatures of habit” and we do best when we maintain our habits. If we indulge over the holidays, oftentimes we spend the new year trying to recover from past indulgences.
The holiday season can also be a time of loneliness, depression and isolation. If you are prone to these feelings, such as seasonal affective disorder—a type of depression related to changes in seasons–around the winter months, it is best to reach out to a mental health professional and develop a plan prior. If you do not have a mental health professional, reach out to your primary physician, a clergy person, someone in your personal support system or take advantage of the many online resources available. It is always advised to seek medical help if you are experiencing hopelessness, excessive tearfulness, difficulty sleeping or thoughts of hurting yourself or others. You can do this by calling a mental health hotline, like the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s National Helpline (800-662-HELP (4357), going to the emergency department or calling your primary care doctor.
Although the holidays can be a difficult and stressful time of the year for many, setting mindful goals and establishing a plan prior should result in avoiding much of the unpleasant stress and emotions.
Take a deep breath and exhale
During the holidays, when I find myself in stressful situations, such as when I’m put on hold or in a long line that isn’t moving, I find that it is a good time to practice some deep breathing, meditative thoughts, and even balancing on one foot, and then the other. These simple exercises are known to reduce stress and reconnect your mind to your body and allow you to feel more grounded.
Live wise and happy holidays!
Elizabeth H. Lowe, M.D., specializes in internal medicine and is board certified in both internal medicine and pediatrics. She is affiliated with the MarinHealth Medical Network and can be reached at (415) 795-7000.
