Show Things to do to Relieve Relieve Relieve Re- Re lieve Holiday Stress Connie Dillin C Health Center HOLIDAYS can be especially tense and depressing for many indi indi- One of the most common reasons is that period of family intensive- intensive ness This prolonged close family contact can result in interactions among significant others that stirs deep emotions All of the old unresolved unresolved unresolved solved conflicts unexpressed anger and unfinished family business can be triggered as old strings are pulled and old buttons are pushed Another reason that we experience experience experience ence stress is that our expectations can be too high or and/or unrealistic We can set ourselves up for bitter disappointment by expecting our families to be like the Waltons or and everything else to be storybook pe perfect A final r reason ason for holiday and winter stress is financial While caught up in the holiday spirit some people simply spend more than they can afford or dont don't have the money to purchase what they would like to give It goes without saying that eating moderately and exercising are beneficial beneficial beneficial bene bene- in counteracting stress But in addition there are some helpful things that you can do for yourself at his this t time J Stay in control It may be that the only person or thing that you can really control during this time is yourself So try to concentrate on maximizing self-control self realizing that much of the rest is beyond you Keep expectations realistic Dont Don't set yourself up for Remember that no family is perfect and mo most t family members' members feelings probably will not have greatly changed during the past year Stay out of others' others fights Most people are are capable of handling and working through their own conflicts without protection or encouragement encouragement en en- from others Unless a conflict becomes destructive or and/or violent try to stay on the sidelines It will save you a lot of grief Restructure your our thinking What you tell yourself about your experiences can really make a difference When you catch yourself reflecting in a negative way tell yourself to to stop and replace it with a a positive positive positive tive thought instead Furthermore Furthermore furthermore further Further- more try to stay rational If you think hink something is a a. catastrophe catastrophe catastrophe phe it may really be only only- an annoyance Keep things in perspective as best you can |