Merry Stress-mas: 12 Steps To Reduce Holiday Anxiety

‘Tis the Season 

Ahh, the holidays! Time for many to celebrate their faith. For others, to reflect on the accomplishments of yet another year gone by, and to plan for an even better one ahead. It is also a time to be with family, give thanks, serve others, and enjoy a break from the normal routines of life. Enter stress – the end of happy holidays for so many!

The holidays bring on an increasingly high level of undue stress for more reasons than there are days in the season. Financial struggles, health concerns, passing of a loved one, work deadlines, shopping, travel, and family squabbles are but a few that can spark fear, worry, sadness, anxiety, and depression. If you are not prepared for it, that is!

More Than just Emotional Stress

Add to typical holiday stress an increase in calorie intake, sedentary behavior, late nights/poor sleep, excessive alcohol intake, travel fatigue, and a general lack of attention to one’s health this time of year, and you have the perfect recipe for mental and physical health problems.

Suicide increase during the holidays is largely a myth. There are, however, direct correlations between increased mental and physical stress this time of year leading to exacerbation of depression and other mental health disorders. A resultant spike in the number of calls to suicide prevention and substance abuse hotlines is the natural outcome.

The Impact of the Holidays on our Health is Real

While this is a piece on stress around the holidays, the importance of physical health, which is directly impacted by stress, needs to be considered. The journal Circulation published research in 2004 showing a nationwide increase in heart attacks of 5% during the holidays. Peak incidence of heart attack was shown to occur on both Christmas and New Year’s Day! Coincidence??? Certainly not! An editorial in the same edition of this journal discussed further the “Merry Christmas Coronary” and the “Happy New Year Heart Attack” – related to increased mental and physical stress this time of year.

With the gloomy realities and statistics behind us, we can now focus on what is most important. What can we do to prevent or minimize the fallout of the holiday season to ensure we may enjoy it to the fullest? And, so that we may proceed with peace of mind, good health, and longevity into the year ahead?

12 Simple Steps to Minimize the Holiday Fallout

1. Drink responsibly. Limit your alcohol intake to one drink every 2 hours in social situations. Have a glass of water in between drinks to avoid intoxication and dehydration. Your brain will thank you!


2. Walk away. Don’t feel you must change anyone’s mind about politics, sports, or anything else for that matter. Engage in positive dialogue.


3. Reach out. If something is upsetting you, sometimes the worst thing to do is hold it in while everyone else is celebrating. Confide in a trusted source.


4. Don’t stress over shopping. Getting into fist fights over the newest TV or toy is clearly not what the holidays are about and will dramatically increase your stress levels. Is it really about the presents?


5. It’s OK not to travel. Many are compelled to travel due to family pressures and the like. It is OK to ‘skip a year’ if you are overwhelmed and feel you need a break.


6. Get to bed. Sleep cycles are impacted enough going into winter with shorter days and longer nights. Be mindful of sleep routines as they have a large impact on buffering chronic stress responses and clearing your brain of toxins.


7. Stick to your regular eating habits. If they are healthy ones, that is. It is OK to ‘sample the goods’ around the holidays, but overdoing it will be sure to weaken your immune system and allow stress to harm your brain and body.


8. Move your body. Exercise should be a regular part of your daily routine, especially around the holidays. It minimizes the effects of stress and burns the excess calories you will likely indulge in.


9. Meditate. Quiet time away from the distractions of the holidays to self-reflect and calm your mind will reduce stress levels.


10. Turn off the tube. TV usage skyrockets during the holidays for many, leading to less physical activity and social disconnection.


11. Play games, read, tell stories. All activities that will engage your mind and connect you to others around you during the holiday season.


12. Connect socially. One of the secrets to stress reduction. Social connection produced hormones that reduce stress. If you have little or no family and friends, volunteer opportunities abound.

There is help

For those experiencing undue stress during the holiday season (or any season) leading to withdrawn, erratic, or dangerous behavior, increased substance use, trouble at work, etc. – there is help! Brain Training such as neurofeedback and meditation are highly effective options for dealing with chronic stress outside of acute or emergency situations. In critical situations, you should call national helplines for immediate support:

National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1.800.273.8255

National Substance Abuse Hotline: 1.800.622.HELP (4357)

Merry Stress-mas: 12 Steps To Reduce Holiday Anxiety

15 Selfless and Worthy Things to Do This Holiday Season

This holiday season is an opportune time for giving.  Even though there are many organizations committed to helping people in need, we can still lend a helping hand to individuals and families who are less fortunate.

For people with limited time and money to spare, it’s not necessary to volunteer countless hours — or donate large amounts of money to a charity. Even taking  small actions — like visiting a lonely senior citizen on Christmas Day, or cooking a meal for a family in need — can go a long way.

15 Selfless Things to Do This Holiday Season:

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1.)  Offer free help:  Helping an elderly person cross the street, or carrying a stranger’s grocery bags to their car, are kind deeds that don’t cost a dime. These uncomplicated acts of kindness go a long way — and are likely, greatly appreciated.

2.)  Adopt a family:  Participate in an adopt-a-family program this holiday season.  Give a family in need a Christmas they will never forget.  For every family you adopt, you can give them food certificates, toys for the children — as well as hygiene products and clothing for older children and adults.

3.)  Volunteer:  One of the most unselfish things you can do this holiday season — and the rest of the year — is the act of volunteering.  No matter what we choose to volunteer our time and efforts toward, volunteering is a selfless act.  It improves the community and may bring joy and happiness to people involved.

4.)  Cook a meal for others:  Consider treating a family to a home-cooked meal this holiday season.  This kind and noble action may mean a great deal to a family.

5.)  Give away something important to you:  A real test of selflessness is to give away things that are important to us.  We can even sell our items and donate the money to a charity or family in need.

6.)  Visit a nursing home:  Nursing homes can be sad and lonely places during the holidays.  Sadly, some elderly residents never have visitors and often spend the holidays alone. You can make these senior citizens feel loved by visiting them during the holidays.  Sending gifts or cards to them are also acts of kindness and generosity.

7.)  Participate in a food drive:  During the holiday season, food drives help to feed families in most communities. Whether you donate produce, gift certificates, or canned goods, food drives are effective at feeding hungry people. Food drives are always in need of donations, as well as volunteers to help in organizing the event and delivering food to families.

8.)  Donate:  Donating is another unselfish act that you can participate in this holiday season. Donating makes a big difference and is easy to do. You can donate money to the charity of your choice, donate clothes to a homeless shelter, or donate toys and food to needy families this holiday season.

9.)  Get involved in fundraising: Fundraising is another kind and noble way to help others this holiday season.  Fundraising is instrumental in raising needed funds for organizations.  It also helps in raising awareness for a cause that matters to you.

10.)  Take time to listen:  Consider taking time out to listen to a family member, friend, coworker — or even a total stranger.  Don’t interject with advice or share your opinion unless they ask for it.  Simply listen.

11.)  Serve food to the homeless:  Serving food to the homeless is a kind and caring thing to do.

12.)  Cover someone’s holiday shift:  Working during the holidays keeps people from spending quality time with their loved ones. Consider covering the shift of a coworker who needs to see his or her family this holiday season.  Your coworker will remember your sacrifice on his or her behalf.

13.)  Adopt a pet: Give a cat or dog a home this holiday season.  Adopt the pet from an animal shelter or rescue service. You’ll get satisfaction from having a new found friend and companion.  And your pet will have a second chance at life.

14.)  Pay it forward: Make someone’s day.  Pay for someone’s order in a drive-thru line or at a restaurant.  Even though they may not get a chance to thank you, you can be certain your thoughtful and kind gesture brings them some needed satisfaction and delight.

15.)  Write letters of appreciation: This holiday season, take the time to write letters of appreciation to people you really appreciate — family, friends, coworkers, and postal service workers — anyone who makes a difference in your day.

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15 Selfless and Worthy Things to Do This Holiday Season

3 Motives Young children Need to have A Video Game Holiday And one Reason They Will not

Our fondness for digital connectivity exists in parallel to our skeptical apprehension. We’re tortured by our personal anxiety. These days, most grownups invest the majority of their time staring at screens. We use laptops, tablets, and smartphones. So-referred to as ‘digital literacy’ is a prerequisite to professional success. Nonetheless, also folks routinely post social media updates lauding the bliss that comes with the expertise of temporary disconnection.

When it comes to our young children we are equally conflicted. We project our ambivalence into our parenting conventions. On the 1 hand, we understand the significance of a familiarity with screen primarily based interactions. On the other hand, we be concerned that if they mediate their complete experience by way of a virtual interface they will get rid of the capability to relate to the bodily world.

According to a 2013 research by Typical Sense Media, young children one particular yr and underneath presently engage in fifty-eight minutes a day of display time. Youngsters two to four engage in one particular hour and fifty-eight minutes. And youngsters 4 to eight devote two hrs and twenty-1 minutes in front of a screen.

The AAP (American Academy of Pediatrics) recommends getting rid of display time for youngsters under two years old. I’m on board with that. But they also propose only two hrs for young children above two. In spite of Frequent Sense Media’s findings, I’d bet most present day parents think about that to be unrealistic. My youngsters frequently rack up two hrs playing Spore in what feels like 5 minutes.

In addition, the black and white strategy to children’s screen time looks foolish. It does not get into account the positive aspects of joint media engagement, the ubiquity of ebooks, the apparent benefit that my 9-12 months outdated receives when he constructs Google Docs Slideshows to educate me about his encounter in Minecraft. Not all electronic media is developed equal. We require to be considerably a lot more nuanced in our parental approaches.

Nevertheless, when I took my youngsters to a residence in the nation surrounded by rolling hills and a giant yard final week I went for an on/off technique. I instituted a ‘no units just before dark’ rule. It was a massive adjust from our urban life style in Philadelphia. Not so significantly because of the nature, in Philly we are privileged to have an excellent park method hikes in the woods are component of our typical loved ones regimen. A week in the nation was different because my kids had acres upon which to run about freely they had a rare chance to take pleasure in unsupervised outside perform. To promise that my kids would consider benefit of this possibility, I essential to maintain them away from digital gadgets. No Minecraft. No Nintendo DS. No IPad.

At initial they did not know what to do. They were puzzled. No units? It was disorienting. After all, their father plays video video games with them for a living. I am an advocate for video games in the classroom. I publish books about the psychology and philosophy of gaming. Collectively, the three of us frequently assessment new devices and games. I hardly ever restrict screen time. I do, however, call for that their vitality also be focused to factors like studying, writing, science, artwork, and music. Restriction emphasizes the negative. Rather than flip video games into a forbidden temptation, I normally select to emphasize the significance of other activities. I allow them play as considerably as they want as long as it is balanced with other varieties of intelligent exploration and expression.

Nonetheless, after a summertime with a lot more Minecraft playdates than I’d like to admit, it appeared like they essential a video game getaway. They required to be disengaged from their ordinary routines. They needed a minor bit of parental regulation to nudge them towards just the proper kind of freedom. I hoped that for the duration of a week in a nation farmhouse they would devote all day outside, producing magical fantasies, adventurous situations, and obtaining their hands dirty.

In the beginning, they were sullen and despondent. “I’m bored,” they’d huff, “am I permitted to use my laptop for email?” Was the laptop some kind of security blanket? I informed them to go outdoors. But that only stored them occupied for about 7 to twelve minutes. By the time I had moved my chair into the yard and grabbed myself a cold beer and a guide, they were completed with nature. They believed they had exhausted all the possibilities for outside perform.

They ran within and received their own chairs and books, lined them up in a row following to me, and started out reading themselves. 10 minutes later on they have been hungry. “Dad, will you make us a snack?” The kitchen table was full of fresh generate that we bought at the farmstand that morning. I advised them to grab a fruit (it was not just a hiatus from devices there was also no junk food in the residence). They came back out with plums and peaches. I experimented with to finish the paragraph I’d been interrupted from reading through all morning. They sighed with aggravation.

It was a continuous struggle, but it paid off. By day two, they were obtaining greater at enjoying outside. And by the end of the week I did not even have to recommend playing outdoors. They did it themselves.

So what did I discover about parenting throughout the week? It shifted the way I think about screen time in surprising techniques. Right here are three factors children need display time vacations and 1 cause they really do not.

1. 
   Forget Moderation, Pick Reverence.
   Do not think the platitude. Almost everything is not fine in moderation. All the moderation in the planet is ineffective if your youngsters have no reverence for the energy of the temptation in question. Display time is excellent for adults and for youngsters. It is pleasurable. This is why we all pick to binge watch George Carlin on YouTube when in a although. It offers a welcome distraction. It keeps us in the flow of anything other than the every day stresses of our lives. But children want to discover that the power of electronic media is also the danger. Screens can flip us into lotus eaters, apathetic and lazy. A vacation from screen time made my little ones appreciate their gadgets much more and concurrently demand them much less often. They identified that there are other exciting approaches to fill their time and, at least for the time becoming, video games are now not often the first option.


2. 
   ‘Where’ Is Just As Essential As ‘What’ Youngsters Envision.
   Numerous critics of video video games fear that they inhibit children’s imagination. Any individual who believes this has never ever watched an eight yr old perform Minecraft. There is a entire world of fantastical perform going on inside this universe. They wander this virtual actuality, constructing imaginary scenarios for a single another. In a globe deemed unsafe for sidewalk perform, Generation Blockhead has found an alternative in Minecraft. We must be content about it. On the other hand, it is our job as adults to aid our kids find out to direct that same imaginative creativity into other locations of their lives. The much more capable they are of shifting their energy of self-expression into myriad parts of their lives, the far more productive they will be in the long run. When we let them to be caught up in a singular outlet for innovation and experimentation, we do them a disservice. The problem here is not the technologies, but rather, the connection to it.


3. 
   Children Ought to Believe Critically About The Function Of Technologies.
   How do we make confident we increase children that really don’t get electronic media for granted? Normally, when we talk about taking items for granted, we are pointing to a lack of appreciation. But in this situation, I use the phrase due to the fact I fret that our kids may well neglect that electronic media is a tool that we pick to use and not automatically a ubiquitous fact of existence. Certainly, in the present day globe, digital technologies are right here to remain. But our children need to have to comprehend that their knowledge in the globe is malleable and that one of the ways they can get control of their very own lives is by producing and making use of the equipment of their choice. When we initiate screen free of charge zones in our houses and vacations from video video games, we teach kids that our connection to tech is constantly optional and flexible. We teach them to continually analyze, assess, and take into account how they want to relate to engineering. We educate them to plug-in cautiously with an opened mind and a crucial eye. We teach them that they can technique the planet even so they want and that if they want, they can create new tools to do so.

And one particular explanation NOT to call for your youngsters to get a video game trip:

1. 
   Don’t Just Unplug On Holiday.
   Although I enjoy the concept of a video game holiday, I also fear that it may possibly send the incorrect message to my youngsters. It may well teach them that constant electronic media is regular and that it is only on specific events that we unplug. There are many things that only come about on vacation that should be a element of our each day lives (siesta comes instantly to mind). A wholesome relationship to electronic media shouldn’t be one particular of those items. How can we educate our young children great routines close to video video games? How do we make certain that they understand a balanced romantic relationship to digital tech? Rather than a video game vacation, I recommend including an hour of family members reading through time to your everyday schedule. It doesn’t matter what you read (and, of course, an eReader doesn’t count as display time in this instance). Just meet in the residing space and commit an hour centered on written text. The little ones can go through for college even though you go through a novel. They can read a comic guide even though you go through that report from function. This is not about the high quality or amount of text, but rather about modeling a life-style. Regular walks in the park are one more excellent idea. Intentional conversation and household political debate model the relevance of very good argumentation. And, of course, when a household eats meals collectively, appreciating the significance of very good flavor, the kids understand that aesthetics and sensation are very good criteria with which to measure the worth of daily expertise.

Jordan Shapiro is writer of FREEPLAY: A Video Game Manual to Highest Euphoric Bliss, and MindShift’s Guide To Video games And Learning For details on Jordan’s upcoming books and events click here.

3 Motives Young children Need to have A Video Game Holiday And one Reason They Will not

Daily life coach: how can I lose weight prior to my holiday?

The best way to accomplish this is a combination of consuming fewer calories and currently being far more energetic.

Just before you embark on your new regime, try out retaining a thorough foods diary for a couple of days. This must incorporate not just your meals but also your snacks and drinks, plus when you consume, how much and how lengthy you take.

This is a beneficial tool to help you become a lot more mindful of your habits, this kind of as reaching for a sugary treat to beat a midafternoon energy slump.

Watch out for eating as well fast, obtaining massive portion sizes, eating out of habit when you are not really hungry and usually eating dessert. These are all methods that you add extra calories without truly realising it – and are simple techniques to lower calories out of your diet regime as soon as you have recognised them.

When you do start your new consuming program, it’s crucial to know you don’t have to really feel hungry all the time to get rid of bodyweight. Eat a lot more wholegrain foods, such as brown rice, plus other

substantial-fibre meals, including pulses, fruit and veggies and jacket potatoes

to make you truly feel complete. Consuming lean protein at every meal – this kind of as Quorn or pulses – will also cease you from feeling hungry later.

Often even with healthy, filling meals you still want the odd snack, so have a lot of wholesome, reduce-calorie treats offered to keep away from the temptation of biscuits or chocolate. Examples consist of fresh fruit, a modest handful of unsalted nuts, carrot batons and hummus, dried fruit, breadsticks, rice cakes and plain popcorn.

Watch what you drink, too – lower back on calories by limiting sugary drinks, including fruit juice and alcohol.

And, last but not least, make positive you workout much more but don’t fear, you really don’t have to join the gymnasium: a 20-minute walk burns 90 calories, a twenty-minute swim about 130 calories, and a 30-minute cycle ride can use up 290 calories.

Q: The final four occasions that I flew, to go on vacation, I came down with a chest infection virtually as soon as I arrived. I blame the recycled air as I do not have equivalent troubles if I travel by bus or train. Can you propose anything I could do to steer clear of this dilemma as, at 69, I have plenty of places I would enjoy to go to?

Roddy MacKenzie, by electronic mail

A: Tony Gallagher writes

Try to hold by yourself as healthy as attainable before the flight, as individuals with significantly less than optimum wellness are at an increased risk of suffering wellness-connected troubles while flying. A strong immune program will lessen your probabilities of catching any colds or bugs. Consume plenty of fruit and greens in the weeks foremost up to your trip. Of course, sitting following to a passenger who can’t end sneezing or coughing will dramatically boost your possibilities of catching some thing, so you may require to fail to remember becoming embarrassed and request a change of seat at this point. Don’t fear, most individuals will recognize your motives.

You may also contemplate utilizing an antibacterial hand gel to wash your hands, notably ahead of you consume or drink. But don’t get paranoid, or you will in no way travel anywhere.

It is also crucial to preserve effectively hydrated. Wellness-connected issues while travelling on an aircraft are usually produced worse by dehydration. This is partly because of the air: the circulating air in aircraft cabins is kept dry and this can lead to passengers becoming significantly dehydrated.

If you are on a extended-haul flight, aim to drink about a pint of water each 3 hrs, and stay away from alcohol and caffeine if feasible, as these will the two worsen dehydration.

At times, you may possibly be flying from a scorching, dry nation and you might be dehydrated on boarding, so consider to have a drink at the airport to put together you for your flight.

Then, of course, there is the air in the cabin, as you mention. No doubt the environmental problems within the cabin of an aircraft, flying at about thirty,000ft, are vastly distinct to these on the ground, wherever you have come from.

Your entire body will, as a result, be at the mercy of decreased atmospheric strain and oxygen, with elevated noise and vibration.

The airlines argue, even so, that there is no actual proof that recirculation of the air in aircraft cabins increases the chance of spreading infections amongst the passengers because filters take away harmful bacteria and viruses.

The filters consider air from outdoors, mix it with the recycled air, get rid of airborne germs and pump clean air into the cabin. A comprehensive air adjust is explained to occur every two to 4 minutes.

A pertinent query is to request how often the airlines alter their filters. It may possibly be tempting for them to conserve fuel by recycling air numerous instances.

When we believe about air travel, there is a lot more to take into account than merely the time you devote in the aircraft. Because many travellers spend lengthy intervals in crowded situations in air ports, or travelling there on the bus or train, you could be exposed to best conditions for spreading infections, such as the widespread cold and influenza, while your feet are even now securely on the ground.

If you are unlucky and do fall unwell yet again, coughs, colds and sore throats can be effortlessly taken care of utilizing more than-the-counter treatments that are offered in chemists and some merchants worldwide.

If you do catch a cold, as you know, it can simply lead to a chest infection. To try to prevent this, consider a vitamin C tablet every single day for 7 days just before flying, and also throughout the flight itself. And if you are already suffering when you fly, attempt taking a decongestant before you board the flight.

A cold, of program, does not always develop into a chest infection, so with fingers crossed and some extra measures, you can boost your chances of steering clear of a chest infection next time and get on with the critical business of having fun.

Send your concerns to lifecoach@telegraph.co.uk, or to 111 Buckingham Palace Street, London SW1W 0DT

Daily life coach: how can I lose weight prior to my holiday?