HOLIDAY STRESS

The season of over-doing, over-eating, over-committing and over-spending is upon us. As we approach the holiday season, many people call this the time of "holidaze". Internal and external pressures seem to paralyze us, causing behaviors which are out of our normal range of functioning. Caught in past failures, or "holiday dysfunctional thinking", we believe it is necessary that we "do this year perfectly" by finding just the right gift, (remember how many of you were standing in long lines to get that Elmo or that new Beanie Baby?) while others believe they must be Martha Stewart written up in House & Garden or Bon Appetite. Unrealistic pressures seem to steamroller our best judgements, and we find ourselves lost in the Holidaze Mayhem. (The best indicators of this clinical dysfunction are glazed eyes, numbed bodies performing numerous activities, empty wallets, and mental confusion.)

The "Holidaze Mayhem" is caused by many factors: increased stress and fatigue, unrealistic expectations, over commercialization and the inability to be with one's family in a healthy fashion. The increased demands of shopping, parties, family reunions, internalized "shoulds" and heightened expectations, and houseguests contribute to the tension. People who typically are not prone to getting stressed find themselves suffering from headaches, mood swings, excessive drinking, over-eating and sleep difficulties. The holiday season is also noted as one of the time periods when we find the highest number of suicides and attempts.

Our 2-part series will confront the Holidaze Mayhem head on. The first of our series will focus on "over-doers" such as overspending, over-eating, and over-committing.

Over-spending:
One of the most common concerns of the holiday season is financial pressure created by overspending. Overwhelmed by the season, many people discover their wallets, checkbooks, and credit cards take a beating, bringing some people to their knees. Many people report overspending creates a financial crisis which takes months to repair. But there are some common tips to help during this holiday season:

• Create a budget for the holiday season and stick with it.
  
• Use only cash for your purchases (credit spending generally isn't felt until it's too late.)
  
• Avoid guilt buying. Make a list of gifts to be purchased and stay with the list.
  
• Give gifts "of the heart" such as making picture albums, coupons for services, baby-sitting, cooking, or special surprises.

Over-eating:

• Do you usually put on an additional 10-15 pounds during the holiday season? Many people complain about unhealthy eating patterns which are high in sugar and fat, and low on balance. With a cornucopia of delights available at every turn, it is imperative that we create a plan to maintain a healthy eating lifestyle for the coming months. Here some some quick tips to help you through the mounds of temptations:
  
• Eat only what you really want
  
• Realize it is okay to say "no" to food
  
• Focus on the holiday and not the food
  
• Try to eat healthy and continue regular exercise.
  
• Don't skip meals
  
• Forget censoring yourself from eating (depravation) that only leads to overeating
  
• Bring your own food if you know healthy food won't be available.
  
• Don't give up if you overeat on one day. Too often people throw in the towel and overeating from one day into a 3-week period.
  

Over-committing:
Are you one of those people who say yes" to all holiday activities at your own expense? Do you generally schedule too much in too little time, and expect to do more than is humanly possible? The most common concern of holidaze is overdoing. Symptoms of fatigue, exhaustion, lack of mental concentration, backaches, depression, and anxiety usually affect those who don't learn some techniques for managing overcommitting. Here are some tips for holiday success:

• Budget your time during this season
  
• Set realistic expectations of what can be accomplished
  
• Learn to say "no" to invitations, commitments, and volunteering
  
• Make a list of your activities and prioritize what is truly important during this season With a little preparation this holiday can be a wonderful experience and something to cherish.

Start now and make this year the wondrous year of peace, happiness, and serenity!