Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

Ease Stress During Holiday

There are no carolers or carved turkeys in the game show, Who Wants To Be A Millionaire, but you're not too far along in the game when the quizzing begins to look a lot like the holiday seasonthe tension mounts, you're out of answers and the 30-second countdown clock is ticking much too fast.

For most of us, the holiday season just doesn't have the easy, languid flow of a Bing Crosby Christmas album. Reality is more like what the contestants in the game show feel about when they seek to lose thousands of dollars with one wrong answer. We're stretched out and stressed out  by cooking, the cleaning, the shopping, the wrapping, the relatives, the entertaining, the travel and the worrying about paying for it all.

Stress is not just a holiday phenomenon. It stretches from one year to the next, but the added demands of the holiday season put more pressure on us. Experts say manageable amounts of pressure can be good by helping us to rise to challenges and preventing us from falling into a rut, but prolonged stress can cause emotional and physical damage like migraines, insomnia, hypertension and stomach disorders.

Living on the edge doesn't have to be a December tradition. This year try something different. For your health's sake, slow down. Pace yourself. It's okay to be the holiday cheerleader in your familythe one on a mission to find the perfect tree, no matter how many lots he or she has to search, the one who scours the stores for that perfect little gift' for everyone on the list, the one who bakes dozens of sugar cookies and wraps 98 percent of the presents, without complaining. The world can only be made a better place by such dedication to tradition, but even cheerleaders need a break.

Don't try to do everything yourself, especially if you have to fit these activities into an already busy schedule. Giving other family members a more active role in the preparations could strengthen their sense of family tradition and make a point about one of the true meanings of the holiday seasonsharing.

The gifts wrapped by your 10-year-old may not be flawless, but that's fine. It's the spirit of participation that really counts. Let other family members or friends help with the tree; it could give you more time for a relaxed shopping trip, well in advance of the last minute rush. Desperately seeking a store that's open on the night before Christmas is a sure way to kick that stress level into overdrive.

Don't even try for perfection. In America, it's part of our culture to have an idealized vision of what should happen during the holiday season  everyone is happy and cheerful; dinner is perfect; all the relatives love each other; and the kids are absolute angels. But what does happen is often quite different.

Work with what you have and enjoy what you can. Otherwise, those high expectations could lead to disappointment and a big dose of holiday stress.

Consider compromise. Is it too much to ask to spend the holiday just the way you would like to spend it for a change? Sometimes, yes. In today's society with blended' families, different religions and mixed cultural backgrounds, family harmony often depends on adjustments.

Deciding how the holidays will be spent, where and with whom, should be worked out as soon as possible. Talking it out could head off stress that may be caused by family members feeling forced to participate in some events or left out of others.

Keep the spirit of the season in mind. It's a good idea to teach young ones to give as well as receive. Help them make or select gifts for others. Include them in decision-making. In this way they get to know the thoughtfulness and anticipation of trying to add a smile to someone else's life. Shifting the focus from I want' to sharing can reduce the stress level for everyone, including the children.

So during the busiest of seasons, take time out. When things get too hectic, relax, read a book, exercise or just sit in the dark and watch the tree lights or holiday candles twinkle. If that helps you get back on track, it's not a waste of time.

All the colleagues at the Arkansas Department of Health wish you and your family a happy and low-stress holiday season.