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It’s the most stressful time of the year (do you remember when that line had “wonderful” in it?). Let’s face it, the holidays are stressful. But we’ll get through them. We always do. This year, let’s do it by being informed, prepared and proactive.
First, you should know your enemy. According to the American Psychological Association, lack of money and the pressure of gift-giving are the most significant contributors to holiday stress (61 percent and 42 percent, respectively). These are followed closely by lack of time (34 percent) and good ol’ credit card debt (23 percent). Roughly 20 percent of us are worried that holiday stress will negatively affect our health, and over one-third of us will turn to food or alcohol to cope. On the bright side, nearly half of us attempt to use exercise and/or spiritual activities to relieve stress.
These statistics suggest that we are aware of the situation, so why is it still such a problem? More than likely, it’s because as these issues build, we allow them to paralyze us, causing us to be reactive instead of proactive. News features and blogs like this one are another contributing factor. Most of them advise us to spend less than we earn, to squeeze in some exercise, or to spend some time by ourselves, or any number of activities that if we could do, we wouldn’t be stressed out in the first place. Essentially adding to our already skyrocketing stress levels! So let’s press the reset button and come up with some new ways to take the edge off the holiday season.
Weather the storm with confidence. What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger. If you’re reading this, you’ve been able to survive every holiday season until now, so no matter how tough things may seem, you will get through it. No matter how tired, broke or busy you are, or how many undesirable family members are descending on your abode, you’re going to survive. Come January 1st, you’ll be back into your regular routine.
Embrace the morning. Ever notice that no matter how you felt when you were falling asleep, you wake up feeling calm and relaxed? This feeling only lasts a few seconds, but you can force yourself to control and hang onto it to the point where it permeates your entire day. Many use yoga or meditation to combat stress, but just trying to squeeze it into an already overbooked schedule will create a maddening catch-22. Make a conscious effort to hold onto this feeling.
Make sleep a priority. It’s easy to spend the evening trying to fit in things you’ve forgotten to do. While it’s great to be organized and efficient, you want to be relaxed before hitting the sack. Schedule a time if you must, but be sure to choose a time to stop working and spend some time de-stressing before going to sleep.
With these tips, you’ll be able to tackle holiday stress with relative ease this season. Above all else, it’s important to remember what the season is supposed to be about. Embrace family and friends instead of focusing solely on showering them with gifts you can’t afford.
Holiday stress can take a big toll on your health, from the effects stress has on your body to the behaviors (like drinking) that it encourages to help relieve it. If you are experiencing any negative health problems as a result of holiday stress, it might be time to visit your doctor. Since the holidays are already a financial stressor, be sure to secure a quality health insurance plan to pay for some or all of your expenses. MHG Insurance Brokers offers a variety of comprehensive medical insurance plans to meet the needs of each unique client. Whether you are looking for crew insurance, individual health insurance plans, family health insurance plans or group health insurance plans, the experts at MHG have the resources to help you choose the ideal policy for your unique requirements. Contact us today to learn more.
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