{"id":81646,"date":"2023-12-01T08:31:39","date_gmt":"2023-12-01T14:31:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.stress.org\/?p=81646"},"modified":"2024-04-06T04:01:23","modified_gmt":"2024-04-06T04:01:23","slug":"give-yourself-the-perfect-gift-trim-your-holiday-stress","status":"publish","type":"news","link":"https:\/\/www.stress.org\/news\/give-yourself-the-perfect-gift-trim-your-holiday-stress\/","title":{"rendered":"Give yourself the perfect gift: Trim your holiday stress"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"We all know the popular holiday song \u201cIt\u2019s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year.\u201d But for many people, a more appropriate lyric might be \u201cIt\u2019s the Most Stressful Time of the Year.\u201d<\/p>\n

Buying gifts for loved ones, decorating the house, planning parties and dinners, and getting together with relatives \u2013 it\u2019s all enough to send stress levels soaring.<\/p>\n

\n

\"Sarah<\/p>\n

Sarah Woods, Ph.D., is Associate Professor and Vice Chair of Research in the Department of Family and Community Medicine.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Experts at UT\u00a0Southwestern Medical Center say there are ways to manage stress and make your holidays much more enjoyable \u2013 and they start with adjusting your expectations, which will help relieve the pressure you put on yourself to achieve perfection.<\/p>\n

Sarah Woods, Ph.D.<\/a>, Associate Professor and Vice Chair of Research in the Department of\u00a0Family and Community Medicine<\/a>,\u00a0said remembering that the holidays are a season of gratitude can help ease the burdens we put on ourselves.<\/p>\n

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

A poll by the American Psychiatric Association in December 2022 showed that 31% of Americans expected to feel more stressed at the holidays compared with the previous year, with most of the anxiety linked to money. Rita Smith, a Licensed Clinical Social Worker in the\u00a0Clinical Heart and Vascular Center<\/a>\u00a0at UT\u00a0Southwestern, said it\u2019s best to make a spending plan for gifts and celebrations because holiday debts can lead to additional stress in the new year. Be practical and creative with your gifting.<\/p>\n

Dr. Woods said stress linked to strained family relationships can cause short- and long-term health problems. Feelings of stress produce cortisol, a hormone created by the adrenal glands that acts as an alarm system for the body. Elevated cortisol can cause disrupted sleep, headaches, inflammation, reduced pain tolerance, and shortness of breath.<\/p>\n

When preparing to be with relatives, it helps to have a strategy, Dr. Woods said. Discuss with your partner how much time you wish to spend with family members and what conversations \u2013 politics, religion, parenting, education \u2013 should be off-limits. Stay attuned to each other\u2019s signals: a hand gesture, a wink, or even a touch on the shoulder will work. If you find yourself in the middle of a difficult conversation with a relative, try saying: \u201cI love you and respect you. Can we put this conversation on pause for now and talk about something else?\u201d<\/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, Ms. Smith said.<\/p>\n

\u201cExcess stress wears and tears on our bodies,\u201d she said. \u201cThe best holiday gifts you can give yourself are equal doses of self-care and grace.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ms. Smith recommended several ways to handle holiday stress:<\/p>\n