Simple Strategies for Surviving Holiday Stress

This article is from the Fall ’10/Winter ’11 issue of The Wellness Advisor® magazine.
Subscribe to get the print edition here.

If you know anything about stress, you probably would agree with these two statements:

1. The holidays can create stressful situations.
2. Too much stress is not good for you health or your relationships.

The problem is that many people have trouble identifying and/or dealing directly with the stressors in their lives; others don’t realize when their stress levels are escalating until they get unrelenting headaches or other symptoms.

Stress-busting strategies can be as individual as you are.  First, you need to learn a little about what stress does to your body.  They you can decide what tactics best fit your personality and lifestyle.

What Exactly

The first person to coin the term “stress” was Hans Selye, MD, PhD, a Canadian endocrinologist.  In 1936 he defined stress as “the non-specific response of the body to any demand for change.”  In other words, stress is how we respond internally to what is going on around us.  In laboratory experiments, Selye discovered that animals subjected to physical and emotional stimuli such a blaring light, loud noise or extreme temperature all exhibited the same effects: namely stomach ulcerations, thymus gland shrinkage, and adrenal gland enlargement.  In further experiments, he demonstrated that persistent stress could cause animals to develop diseases similar to those seen in humans, such as heart attacks, stroke, kidney disease and rheumatoid arthritis.

Startling Statistics

• Nearly one in five (17%) respondents reach their highest stress level 15 or more days per month.
• Almost half (48%) reported that their stress level has risen over the last five years.
• More than three out of four participants (77%) said  that within  the previous month, they had experienced physical problems due to stress.  Those problems included fatigue, headache, upset stomach, muscle tension, change in appetite, teeth grinding, change in sex drive and feeling dizzy.
• Stress kept nearly half of participates awake at night during the previous month.  They reported losing 21 hours of sleeping during that month.
• Almost half of participants (43%) said they had overeaten or eaten unhealthy foods because of stress in the previous month.  Candy and chocolate were the most popular comfort foods.

How Do You know If You Are Stressed, What Are the Warning Signs?

The obvious symptoms of stress are racing heart, palpitations and sweaty palms.  Stress is also associated with headache, insomnia, memory loss, inability to concentrated, reduced immune function and weight gain.  Over time stress can accelerate aging and increase the risk of heart disease, diabetes and certain forms of cancer.

Stress Busting Strategies

Identify Your Stressors:

This first step in managing stress is to identify the sources of your stress, or your triggers.  These are the thoughts or events that make you feel stressed, or the people who push your buttons.  Keep a journal or notepad handy so that when you feel stressed you can make a notes of the circumstance.  Whether it is situations at work or home, with family or friends, make a notes of how you felt, how you reacted and how you coped.  Are your current coping strategies helpful, or do they make matter worse?  Identifying your stressors and making notes of how you deal with stressful situation will help you in creating a stress management plan.

Adopt Stress Management Strategies:

• Avoid Negative People

Avoid negative people and those who stress you out: the chronic complainers, those who never have anything nice to say, and those who seem to enjoy criticizing.

If someone consistently makes you feel stressed to be around, limit the amount of time you spend with that person or end that relationship entirely.

• Avoid Causes of Stress

Avoid the things that cause you the most stress, or find ways to alter stressful situations so that they are more tolerable.  For example, if traffic is a trigger, see if you can change your work hours to minimize driving in rush hour or take a different route, even if it is longer.  If that is not possible, try listening to music, news, or an audio book while driving to make the time more enjoyable.

• Train Your Mind

Train your mind to react differently to current triggers.  Look at challenges in life as opportunities.  This may take some practice.  You will need to examine how you think and react in various situations, and come up with ways to change your reactions.  For example, if you find givings a speech to be stressful, look at it as an opportunity to develop your public speaking skills.  Take a course or work with a coach, and with practice you might even enjoy public speaking.

• Develop a Positive Attitude

Positive thinking reduces stress, makes you feel happy, and makes others want to be around you.  Start by saying positive things to yourself each day: things you like about yourself, your achievements, your family, or your plans for the day.  When feeling stressed, take time to reflect on all the positive things in your life.

• Work on Managing Anger

Work on managin anger and hostility.  This takes time.  Practice controlling or redirecting your frusterations into something postive.  If you have had a bad day at work, rather than get into a fight with your partner or children, go for a walk or a bike ride.  This will help relieve the stress and put your energy into something more positive.

• Express Your Feelings

Take charge.  Express your feelings and be assertive.  This will make you feel more in charge and less like a victim of circumstances.  Deal with problems up front; ignoring them or keeping them insdie can lead to anger, resentment, feelings of helplessness and anxiety.  Work on communicating your thoughts and feelings with friends, family or a counselor.

• Look at the Big Picture

Sometimes we get caught up “stressing” over the small stuff.  When faced with something causing you stress, ask youself if it is really that important, whether it will matter in a week or month, and if it is worth getting upset over.  If the answers are no, then let your worries and negative thoughts go and redirect your energy to things that matter.

• Let Go of Perfectionism

Having high standards for yourself and others can set you up for unneccessary stress.  Instead, set reasonable expectations, and realize that perfection is not always achievable or neccessary.

• Learn to Compromise

When in a dispute, find some common ground or meeting a person halfway can leave both of you feeling more satisfied.

Create Balance:

• Schedule Time for Yourself

Schedule time for yourself each day, even if it is only a half hour to rechage your batteries and do something you enjoy.

• Learn to Say No

Taking on more than you can handle and being overextended, either with work or other commitments, can lead to stress.  Set boundaries and stick to them.

• Time Management

Improve your time management skills.  Running late for appointments, squeezing too much into your day, and multi-tasking can be stressful.  If your schedule is getting out of contorl, prioritize your activities and work on accomplishing only the most important items.  Leave the extras for another day or cut them out completely by delegating.

Accept the Things You Can’t Change:

• What’s Within Your Control?

Try to foucs on the things that are in your control, such as your own thoughts, behaviors and actions.

• Look for the Positives

Even during the tough times, there are opportunities to learn and experiences personal growth.

• Learn to Forgive

Holding a grudge or feeling angry and resentful leads to stress and negative emotions.

Lifestyle Strategies

Food and Mood:

• Start your day right with breakfast.

It will set the tone for how you feel, physcially and emotionally.  Try oatmeal with cinnamon and flaxseed, yougurt and berries, or poached eggs with whole grain toast.

• Eat Small, Frequent Meals

Eat small, frequent meals throughout the day.  This will keep you energized and in a better position to deal with stress.  It is much better to each five small meals a day than three large meals.

• Low-Glycemic Carbohydrates

Choose low-glycemic carbohydrates such a whole-wheat pasta, whole-grain breads, brown rice, fruits, and vegetables.  These food provide essential nutrients needed to help the body deal with stress.

• Ensure Adequate Protein Instake

Protein provides sustained energy, and is required for muscle repair and growth.  Choose lean poultry, fish, beans, legumes, nuts and seeds.

• Drink Water and Tea

Drink losts of purified water and calming herbal teas including chamomile, lemon balm and passionflower.

• Essential Fatty Acids

Eat more fish, flaxseed, hemp and chia seed.  These foods contain essential fatty acids that are necessary for proper brain and nervous system function.

Foods to Avoid:

• Caffeine

High amounts of caffine can trigger and worsen stress.  Try switching your morning coffee or soda to green tea.  Green tea has much less caffeine, and containus an amino acid call L-theanine that promotes calming and relaxation.

• Alcohol

Many people turn to alcohol  to relax, yet alcohol, like caffeine, can actually worsen the effects of stress.  Alcohol causes the body to lose water.  The body senses dehydration as a stressor, and, as a result cortisol levels rise.  Alcohol can also impair sleeping.  Limit alcohol to one to two drinks per day.

• Sugary Foods

These casues fluctuations in blood sugar, which may cause mood swings and wosen the effects of stress.  Cut down on candy, baked goods, condiments (ketchup, salad dressings, etc.), and snack foods.

• Fast Food and Processed Foods

Fast food and processed foods (snack foods) are high in saturated fat and sugar, and low in nutritinal value.  These foods can trigger anxiety and mood swings.

Exercise for Less Stress:

Regular physical activity plays a key role in reducing and preventing the effects of stress.  In fact, the benefits of exercise in relieving stress are more powerful than any prescription drug.  Clinical studes consistently show that exercise can ease tension and stress and cut the risk of almost every chronic disease.  Exercise also improves sleep quality, and getting a good night’s sleep is critical for coping with stress.

Simply making the decisions and effort to exercise can boost your self-image, distract you from stress andworry, and give you something postive and rewarding to focus on.  Two helpful forms of exercise are Yoga and Tai Chi.

• Yoga

Yoga has been practiced for centuries by many cultures around the world.  It is not recognized to be an effective method for reducing stress, improving flexibility and strength, and improving sleep and overall health.  Yoga is a great activy for people of all ages.  The best way to learn yoga is to a join a class.  Once you learn the basics, yoga is something that you can practice on a mat in the comfort of you own home.

• Tai Chi

This graceful form of exercise was developed in China more than 2,000 years ago.  Practice reqularly, tai chi can help reduce stress, increase flexibility, improve muscle strength and definition, increase energy, and improve feelings of well-being.

Tai Chi is often described as “meditation in motion” because it promotes serenity through gentle movements, connecting the mind and body.  It involves performing a series of posture or movements in a slow, graceful manner.  Each posture flows into the next without pausing.  Like yoga, tai chi is an activity that anyone, regardless of age or physcial ability, can practice.  To learn tai chi, it is best to seek the guidance of a qualified instructor.  Group classes are affordable, and provide an opportunity to lean the techniques and enjoy social interaction.

Relaxation Techniques:

In addition to a proper diet and regular exercise, consider the following relaxation techniques to take the edge off stress.

• Massage

During stress, tension can build up in the muscles, causing a decrease in circulation and nutried delievery to tissues that results in “Knots” or sore muscles.  These knots can be painful and even impair sleep quality.  A trained massage therapist can rub your body (often with oil) and manipulate your soft tissues (muscle, skin, and tendons).  Massage increases blood flow which helps looses stiff, sore muscles, promoting relaxation.  Massage can also boost your immune system, which may be compromised by chronic stress.

• Acupuncture

A treatment modality of traditional Chinese medicine, acupuncture is based on the philosophy that living beings have a vital energy, called “qi,” that circulates through 12 invisible energy lines on the body known as meridians.  Each meridian is associated with a different organ system.  It is thought that an imbalance in the flow of qi throughout a meridian leads to disease and health problems.

According to Chinese medicine, stress, anxiety, depreession, or any strong, emotion interrupts the smooth flow of energy throughout the body.  This can lead to pain, muscle tension, and other health problems.  To restore balance to the flow of energy, an acupuncturist inserts needles into specificed points along meridian lines.  There are more than 1,000 acupuncture points on the body.

Western medicine has gradually come to accept and even endore the benefits of acupuncture.  Western practitioners believe that acumpuncture works to alleviate stress by releasing endorphins (the natural pain-killing chemicals in the brain).  Acupuncture also improves circulation of blood throughout the body, which oxygenates the tissues and cycles out cortisol and other waste chemicals.  The calming nature of acupuncture also decreases heart rate, lowers blood pressure and relaxes the muscles.

• Deep Breathing

During stress, many people hold their breat or take short shallow beaths from the chest rather than the abdomen.  This can reduce oxygenation, lower energy levels, and worsen the effects of stress.

Deep breathing has a natural calming effect, and can be done anytime and anywhere. Site comfortably in a quiet area.  Take a deep breath in through your rose, counting from one to four as you breathe in.  Exhale thorugh you mouth as you count down from four to one.  Repeat 20 or 30 times.  Practice this several times throughout the day, especially when you are feeling stressed.

• Visualization

Also known as mental imagery or guided imagery, visualization connects mind and body to promote relaxation and healing.  It allows us to escape our stressful reality for a brief time and focus on thoughts that are calming and relaxing.  Simply sit or lie down in a quiet, comfortable spot and close your eyes.  Visualize a scence of place that makes you feel calm and happy.  It could be a memory from childhood or a pleasureable vacation.  Focus on the sights and sounds of this scence and imagine that you are there.  Relax and enjoy.

• Meditation

This mental discipline has been practiced for more than 5,000 years among Eastern cultures.  Today, it is commonly practiced in the West for stress management.  Meditation involves turning attention to a single point of reference and entering into a deep state of relaxation.  There are various meditative disciplines involving a wide range of spiritual and/ or psychophysical practices.

Aside from promoting calmness, relaxation, and a sense of peace, meditation offers a number of other benefits: it slows heart rate and breathing, normalizes blood pressure, improves oxygenation, and reduces sweating.  Meditation can lower cortisol levels, improve immunue system function, and slow the aging process.  It also helps clear the mind and boost creativity.

• Sleep

Sleep is one of our body’s most basic and important needs.  Stress and poor sleep go hand in hang: stress can affect our abililty to get a good night’s rest, and being tired and fatigured can impair our ability to cope with stress.  When we are tired, we feel edgy, irritable, and are more reactive to stress.

To improve your quality of sleep, work on developing good “sleep hygiene” habits (habits before bed that can affect sleep quality).  Good habits may include:

• Set aside a least seven to eight hours for sleep
• Establish a regualr bedtime and wake time.
• Do relaxing activites before bed: read a book, take a warm bath, or meditate.
• Reserve your bedroom for intimacy and sleep only.
• Make your bedroom dark, quiet and comfortable.
• Exercise reqularly, but not before bed.  Exercise is stimulating, and when done too close to bedtime it can hamper sleep.
• Avoid caffeine (coffe, tea, soda, and chocolate) eight hours before bedtime.
• Minimize alcohol consumption or avoid it completely.
• Go easy on sugary foods, especially in the evening, to avoid a “sugar-rush”.
• If you work the night shirt or  travel to different time zones, try supplementing with melatonin (a hormone naturally secreted in response to darkness that helps promote sleep).
• Supplements containing L-theanine can improve sleep quality and also reduce stress

Lastly, work on always maintaining your sense of humor.  Being able to laugh at yourself when you make a mistake, and finding the humor and levity in challenging situations, is a great way to dissipate stress.