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Show Horrors! It's Christmas Again; Run For Your Life knowing you are actively working towards goals. "If you can learn to live within the limits of your time, energy and resources, you'll be taking additional precautions against burnout. Sure, it's wonderful to have homemade gifts for everyone, every-one, but consider the task realistically. Ask yourself if it is worth the demands it will create in your life," Austin says. Holiday burnout is a very real phenomenon. It can deaden the entire season. If you relax and approach the holidays fully conscious of your own limitations, but still be enthusiastic enough to do what you reasonably can, you will have gone a long way towards beating this holiday dilemma, Austin says. Toy Selection When shopping for toys, look for safety labels such as "non-toxic" on painted toys and "flame resistant" on fabric products, says Steve Bilbao, USU extension safety specialist. He says to also check for age recommendations recommenda-tions to insure both interest level and safety of use. Poisonous Holiday Plants According to Steve Bilbao, USU extension safety specialist, spe-cialist, some traditional holiday holi-day plants can be poisonous. He says poinsettia leaves and flowers can be irritating to the mouth and stomach and cause vomiting and' nausea. Misiletoe and holly berries may be poisonous if more than a few are swallowed. Bilbao says to keep these decorations out of the reach of small children and pets. Check Old Lights When you say to yourself, "I think this string of lights will make it through one more Christmas," it's time to throw it out, says Steve Bilbao, USU extension safety specialist. Fireplace Hazards A normally safe fireplace can become a fire hazard during the holidays, according accord-ing to Steve Bilbao, USU extension safety specialist. Be careful when you put stockings and wreaths on the fireplace mantel that they are far enough away from possible sparks. Also, avoid burning Christmas package wrappings in the fireplace because they may flare up and send out extra sparks. Cabin Fever As the snow and the temperature fall, do you experience an uneasy feeling? feel-ing? After extended periods of time indoors do you become bored and irritable? If so, you may be getting a case of "cabin fever." Dr. Kim Openshaw, assistant assist-ant professor and a marriage and family therapy specialist at Utah State University, says there are many causes of cabin fever other than weather conditions. "Originally, cabin fever required a true cabin-four buckling walls, a leaky roof and warped floor. Although our living conditions have changed, we are no less susceptible to cabin fever," Openshaw says. Today, there are many additional factors contributing contribu-ting to cabin fever such as age, health, finances, children, child-ren, work, sex-role stereotypes, stereo-types, etc. He says the most commonly recognized, but not the only symptom of cabin fever is boredom. As confinement lengthens, the symptoms come more frequently fre-quently and intensely. Openshaw says emotional expression and control are affected. This may include insufficient or exaggerated emotional reactions, infantile emotional reactions andor moods of depression. "All these add up to strained interpersonal relationships. rela-tionships. Symptoms of cabin fever are general boredom, withdrawal and uncooperativeness," Openshaw Open-shaw says. Cabin fever is not limited to age or sex, although it may be more predominant among homemakers. Symptoms Symp-toms in children parallel those of adults, Openshaw savs, but the main indicators are hyperactivity,moodiness, decreased appetite and sibling sib-ling rivalry. He says there are several ways to deal with cabin fever. Foremost is realizing the symptoms are real and attempts to rationalize them away will likely worsen rather than alleviate them. If the symptoms are mild, a person can (a) try to identify the specific factors which cause the feeling of confinement; confine-ment; (b) identify how you are contributing to this confinement; (c) identify the alternatives available, consider consi-der the consequences and decide on an appropriate solution; and (d) implement your plan. "It is important that cabin fever sufferers assume responsibility re-sponsibility for their own improyement andrealize trreyarTlncontrol of their lives including the joy or discomfort they feel, ' ' Openshaw Open-shaw savs. The family specialist says if your cabin fever symptoms are severe, and attempts to alleviate them don't work, then consider consulting a mental health professional. He says social workers, psychologists, marriage and family therapists, religious leaders, medical doctors and others could likely assist with the problem. Managing Christmas Do you find yourself too exhausted from the preparations prepara-tions to enjoy Christmas day? Do you avoid the mailbox dreading the Christmas bills coming in the first week of January? If so, you are one of the millions of Americans who overdo it at Christmas. According to Dr. Marilyn Noyes, extension consumer specialist at Utah State University, many consumers lose some of the joy of Christmas amidst all the gift buying and household preparations. pre-parations. "A good way to set your priorities may be to sit down and list several things you remember most about past Christmases. You are unlikely to find things on your list such as receiving an electric fondue pot or having a clean house," Noyes says. In general, we spend too much time worrying about the things that really do not contribute t6 the traditions and joys of Christmas." She says when tempted to overspend on Christmas gifts, remember this: buying gifts on credit which you cannot repay within 30 days is like taking a loan at an 18-24 percent interest rate. Noyes says this type of overspending can push families fami-lies over the brink of financial disaster. A rule of thumb is to keep your installment under 10 percent of your take home pay (mortgages excluded). She says many of the common Christmas overspending over-spending problems can be avoided by using sound shopping habits. This means allowing yourself enough time to find what you really want, compare prices and shop for sales. Last minute, shopping often contributes to overspending, Noyes says. "Time, as well as money is always in short supply, during the holidays. Analyze each activity in light of the time and money that will be spent compared . to the-satisfaction the-satisfaction it will deliver. Categorize activities into three lists-things you like to do, things you have to do and things you. should do," "Noyes says. She says to also consider your schedule in light of its effect on your family. For7 instance, ask yourself if'your jolly mood is more important to your family than whether your cookies are homemade or from the bakery. Overeating If you are like most people, the holiday season always makes your clothes shrink. Inevitably, "visions of sugar plums" are bigger than your stomach and going on a diet is your first New Year's resolution. According to Georgia Lauritzen, Utah State University Uni-versity extension nutrition specialist, holiday feasts and parties always bring extra calories so be sure to make the meals you have under your control as low calorie as possible. Before you leave for a holiday party, eat a light snack like an apple and a diet beverage, to take the edge off youi; appetite, Lauritzen says. This will help keep you from overeating high calorie foods. When at ths party, try o take small portions of the rich foods ancLmore of the low-calorie fooas such as salads and vegetables, Lauritzen Laur-itzen says. "You.can cut a lot of calories by drinking low calorie beverages instead of the traditional punch and eggnog. Also, don'tvforget that alcoholic beverages are very high in calories." She says when you are in control of your own parties and family meals, plan low-calorie dishes that will balance the heavy holiday meals. Use raw fruits and vegetables served with a light dip from cottage cheese, yogurt or buttermilk. "Try seasoning your vegetables vege-tables with lemon, orange or tomato juice instead of butter or cheese. Spices and herbs are also low-calorie substitutes substi-tutes for rich sauces," Lauritzen says. "Whenever possible, treat yourself to fresh fruits for desserts, she says. "Many citrus fruits are at their peak during December and January;" Jan-uary;" : Lauritzen says another method me-thod of reducing the calorie content of a dessert is to serve pumpkin pie in custard cups without the pie crust. . YThis will save about 150 calories per serving. , By watching your calories ust a little during the holiday. season, you can still enjoy some of the traditional holiday treats and avoid the traditional "lose 10 pounds" New Year's resolution, Lauritzen Laur-itzen says. Singing a lot of Christmas carols will also help, she says. Singing keeps you from eating and burns about 120 calories per hour. Before you leave for a holiday party, eat a light snack like an apple and a diet beverage, to take the edge off your appetite, Lauritzen says. This w ill help keep you from overeating high calorie foods. When at the party, try to take small portions of the rich foods and more of the low-calorie foods such as salads and vegetables, Lauritzen Laur-itzen says. "You can cut a lot of calories by drinking low calorie beverages instead of the traditional punch and eggnog. Also, don't forget that alchoholic beverages are very high in calories." She says when you are in control of your own parties and family meals, plan low-calorie dishes that will Surviving Holiday Burnout With Thanksgiving behind you, you are either looking forward to Christmas and New Years with dread or excitement. According to Dr. Ann Austin, assistant professor of family and human development develop-ment at Utah State University, Univer-sity, the holiday season is a prime time for anxiety and burnout. She defines "burnout" as being a time when a person's expectations are at odds with reality. For example, in our exuberance to "make this the best Christmas ever," we often set unrealistic goals for ourselves. These goals defy the realities of our energy level, personal health, finances and most likely, our time constraints, Austin says. "Burnout commonly hits those who are perfectionists, hard-driving, ambitious,en-ergetic ambitious,en-ergetic and goal-oriented. Burnout is common with this group because of the many relentless demands they make on themselves and exceedingly high personal standards they usually set," Austin says. "Burnout is also common in this group because these persons have established the 'dump truck' habit. They allow other people to dump responsibility on them," she adds. Austin suggests a good way to beat burnout this holiday season is to refuse to let v others dump on you. It's true the P.T.A. needs cookies, the church needs Christmas play costumes and someone has to sing at the office party-but it is not true that this someone needs to be you, she says. The USU family specialist says using the "A,B,C" method is an excellent way to beat burnout. This means that each day you prioritize your obligations with "A" being most urgent, followed by "B" and so on. This way you accomplish the most important things first and have the satisfaction of |