COLDWATER, MI (WTVB) – Winter holidays—do they fill you with joy or with worries about gift giving and family gatherings? Do you have a case of the jitters over the weather, travel and money? If you’re feeling stressed out over the holidays, the Branch-Hillsdale-St. Joseph Community Health Agency is encouraging you to take a few moments to learn how holiday stress affects your health and how you can control it.
Everyone feels stressed from time to time. Stress can give you a rush of energy when it’s needed most , i.e., cooking and cleaning for holiday guests. But if stress lasts a long time—a condition known as chronic stress—those “high alert” changes become harmful rather than helpful. Getting enough sleep is a key to stress relief—although stress itself can interfere with sleep. In the long run, the Health Department says reducing stress may help you to slow down and enjoy your time with the people and activities you really care about. And they say isn’t that really what the holidays are all about?
To reduce stress, also exercise regularly. Just 30 minutes a day of walking can boost mood and reduce stress. Build a social support network. Set priorities. Decide what must get done and what can wait. Say no to new tasks if they are putting you into overload. Think positive. Note what you’ve accomplished at the end of the day, not what you’ve failed to do. And if necessary, seek help.
Talk to a mental health professional if you feel unable to cope, have suicidal thoughts, or use drugs or alcohol to cope. If you or someone you know is in crisis, call the toll-free, 24-hour National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (1-800-273-8255).
