{"id":368248,"date":"2023-12-02T09:00:33","date_gmt":"2023-12-02T14:00:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/platohealth.ai\/trim-your-holiday-stress-this-season-experts-offer-tips-drugs-com-mednews\/"},"modified":"2023-12-02T18:31:06","modified_gmt":"2023-12-02T23:31:06","slug":"trim-your-holiday-stress-this-season-experts-offer-tips-drugs-com-mednews","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/platohealth.ai\/trim-your-holiday-stress-this-season-experts-offer-tips-drugs-com-mednews\/","title":{"rendered":"Trim Your Holiday Stress This Season: Experts Offer Tips – Drugs.com MedNews","gt_translate_keys":[{"key":"rendered","format":"text"}]},"content":{"rendered":"

Medically reviewed<\/a> by Drugs.com.<\/span><\/p>\n

By Robin Foster HealthDay Reporter<\/p>\n

SATURDAY, Dec. 2, 2023 (Healthday News) — The holidays are typically a happy whirlwind of gift-buying, house decorating, party planning and family gatherings, but all that work can also stress people out.<\/p>\n

Luckily, experts at UT Southwestern Medical Center say there are things you can do to keep your stress levels under control and help make your holidays happy.<\/p>\n

\u201cExcess stress wears and tears on our bodies,\u201d said Rita Smith<\/a>, a clinical social worker in the Clinical Heart and Vascular Center at UT Southwestern. \u201cThe best holiday gifts you can give yourself are equal doses of self-care and grace.\u201d<\/p>\n

Start with realistic expectations, which will ease the pressure of trying to be perfect.<\/p>\n

Remembering the holidays are all about gratitude will also help, said Sarah Woods<\/a>, vice chair of research in UT Southwestern’s Department of Family and Community Medicine.<\/p>\n

\u201cThink about what you\u2019re grateful for and put it in writing,\u201d Woods suggested in a university news release. \u201cFocusing on the good can help you relax and cope with the not-so-good.\u201d <\/p>\n

Another stressor during the holidays? Money. <\/p>\n

Smith said it\u2019s best to make a spending plan for gifts and celebrations because holiday debts can be overwhelming. So, try to be practical yet creative with your gifting.<\/p>\n

Then there’s family relationships, which are sometimes strained.<\/p>\n

Woods said stress linked to difficult family relationships can produce more cortisol. Elevated cortisol levels are linked to poor sleep, headaches, inflammation, reduced pain tolerance and shortness of breath.<\/p>\n

The best way to prepare for that? Before visiting family, discuss with your partner how much time you wish to spend with relatives and what conversations — politics, religion, parenting, education — should be off-limits, Woods said. <\/p>\n

If you find yourself in the middle of a trying conversation with a relative despite that, try saying: \u201cI love you and respect you. Can we put this conversation on pause for now and talk about something else?\u201d Woods recommended.<\/p>\n

The holidays can be especially difficult if you are caring for a loved one who is ill or spending your first holidays alone after a divorce or the loss of a spouse, Smith added.<\/p>\n

She recommended several ways to handle holiday stress:<\/p>\n