Enjoying the Holiday Season Without The Stress

By: Melody Dizon

 

And the holiday season has officially begun. Almost all my weekends are booked for parties, shopping for gifts, being glued to online deals, meeting relatives, battling snowy weather conditions to go to the mall, kids being off from school, I can name every single one of them, and just the mere thought of the things I have yet to do, makes my neck stiff and shoulders tight. This cheerful time of year is supposed to be all about fun, family, friends, peace, joy, harmony, and celebration. I used to get so excited when the holidays are fast approaching. But now it seems that I am being pulled from one direction to the other, the demands and responsibilities I must fulfill that I could hardly enjoy putting up the Christmas tree, wrapping presents and decorating the house. It shouldn’t be this way. And you may be able to relate to me so let’s cope together on how to fully enjoy the holiday season as it should be.

Key Things To Know About Holiday Stress by Doc Orman, MD (WebMD Health and Wellness)

• Much of the stress people experience during the holidays can be prevented or eliminated.
• While there may be increases in external demands, personal and family obligations, and other responsibilities during the holiday season, these are not the only causes of holiday stress.
• There are also internal causes, which occur within us. These are present all year long, but they become much more troublesome during times of increased pressures/demands.
• The best way to deal with holiday stress is to recognize and defeat these internal causes.

Common Types of Holiday Stress
Some of the common types of stress that typically arise for people during the holiday season are listed below, trying to capture the essence of what we are usually up against.
* Increased Pressures/Demands
* Added Responsibilities
* Crowds and Traffic Congestion
* Negative Emotions
* Relationship Conflicts
* Family Tensions
* Loneliness, Separation, Divorce
* Money Issues
* Overeating
* Alcohol and Substance Abuse
* Inadequate Sleep
* Illness
* Unexpected Crises or Tragedies

To add to the already stressful life, the holidays can push people to the edge. The society we live in encourages this all the more. Sometimes coping strategies are only helping us deal with the symptoms and not really delve into the underlying cause of stress. Per Dr. Doc Orman, “Whether it’s using alcohol or smoking a cigarette or taking prescription drugs to deal with our stress, or whether we use healthier coping techniques, such as meditation, yoga, physical exercise, or simply taking more time to relax, all of these strategies address just the symptoms of our problems. They don’t do anything to eliminate or reduce the root causes of our stress”. So we will always have the tendency to respond this way again. We respond to stress because of external causes or internal causes. Dr. Doc Orman further defined external causes are those circumstances, and events that occur around us while internal causes are thought and behavior patterns within us that are much more difficult to notice. It is vital to recognize and deal with our internal or hidden cause of holiday stress because once identified we may have a chance, a better chance in eliminating holiday stress.

10 Hidden Internal Causes Of Holiday Stress
#1: Social and Personal Expectations
#2: Too Many Responsibilities
#3: Trying To Change or Control Other People
#4: Memories of Past Holidays
#5: Unpleasant Emotions and Body Reactions
#6: Blaming Yourself or Others When Things Go Wrong
#7: Failing To Anticipate Likely Problems and Delays
#8: Using Food, Drugs, or Alcohol to Cope with Stress –
#9: Expecting Things to Go Well
#10: Expecting Others to Behave As You Prefer

Stress Mastery vs. Stress Management

Dr Orman differentiated stress mastery vs. stress management. While stress management techniques deal with the symptoms of stressful problems, stress mastery, is all about knowing how to prevent or eliminate stress by learning how to recognize and then deal with its underlying causes. Some of the benefits you can achieve once we are able to master stress are:

• Having much less anger, guilt, anxiety, worry and other negative emotions
• Your relationships with other people will improve
• Save a life

Hence, it is crucial for us to examine ourselves and see what those hidden causes are. Most likely, a different approach will give you a different response. A different response may give you a different perspective on any given circumstance. A different perspective may give you a different behavioral pattern. A different behavioral pattern can give you a different outcome. A different positive outcome can eliminate stress which may and can save a family, a marriage, your health and your life.

Let’s all celebrate the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ while enjoying the true meaning of Christmas, stress-free or at least with lesser stress with a spirit full of love, peace, joy and harmony. Maraming salamat po sa patuloy na pagsubaybay dito sa “Unchained Melody,” where your health matters most.

Merry Christmas to all and a Have a Happy New Year!###