Coping With Holiday Stress

The holidays are coming. So too is your frenzied dash to deck the halls, grapple with the mall crowds and gab at the parties.

Relax! A walk will do you good - or maybe some wholesome food. The holidays don't mean you should throw your healthy habits away. Be good to your body and it will be good to you.

• Spend some time on yourself. In the midst of doing something for everyone else, give yourself a gift by relaxing - even if for just a few minutes. Do deep breathing or just sit quietly in a chair.

• Be realistic. If you can't devote a 30-minute chunk of time to exercise, break it up into three 10-minute sessions during the day. You can also work out first thing in the morning, which will make you more likely to keep up with your exercise routine.

• Find a buddy. Walking and talking with a friend can help you relax and take your mind off your stressors. You'll also burn extra calories.

• De-stress. Stress may trigger you to eat more or to make poor, less nutritious food choices. The hormone cortisol prepares you to react to a stressful event. Ongoing stress keeps your cortisol levels high, causing you to crave fats and carbs.

• Watch your meal choices, but be reasonable. This is the holiday season and there are plenty of opportunities to indulge. Enjoy your favorites, but keep yourself in check.

• Create a game plan. Keep an organizer handy to help you choose times during your day when you can shop or cook.

• Drink plenty of water. This will help with the dehydration caused by alcohol. It may also help curb your appetite, since thirst is often mistaken for hunger.

• Keep your doctor's appointments. It's tempting to want to cancel them, but remember that the holidays will eventually end. Good health is for life.

• Create new traditions. Instead of having a holiday party, invite your guests for ice skating or skiing.

• Spread out your meals. Skipping meals is the worst thing you can do. You need a steady supply of energy to help you deal with your stress. When we get stressed out, different stress hormones come to the rescue to help our bodies respond. One of these - cortisol - creates intense food cravings.

• Mind those liquid calories. Many holiday beverages have stimulants like caffeine, which increase your stress and interfere with your sleep. Have a glass of seltzer after drinking an alcoholic beverage.

• Forget perfectionism. There's no such thing as the perfect party or perfect decorations.

• Make time for the family. In the flurry of the holidays, it's easy to lose sight of the fact that the holidays are about family.

Related Articles Stuff the Bird, Not Yourself A Survivor's Guide to the 'Eating Season' Holidays Without Headaches

External Source The American Council on Exercise

This article was reviewed and updated June 2007.

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