News Release
November 27, 2002

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How to Cope with the Stress of the Holidays

The holidays can be fun and should be fun, but for many people, it is a time of immense stress. Buying presents, spending time with the family, wrapping gifts, making cookies, decorating the house, and more, causes many people’s stress levels to soar. This prolonged or excessive tension often manifests in the form of anger, sadness or depression, sometimes described as the "holiday blues."

According to USA TODAY, 40% of Americans suffer from the "blues" either during or after the holiday season. The majority of men stress over financial problems, while the majority of women have relationship blues. Many people feel lonely because they do not have family or friends with whom they can share the holidays, or because they may be celebrating the holidays without loved ones who have died in the past year. Both men and women experience post-holiday let down.

There are some helpful ways to combat stress during the holiday season. According to David Miller, M.D., Director of Older Adult Services Friends Hospital, the most important thing to remember is to "set realistic expectations of yourself and your loved ones to avoid disappointment, and to try to enjoy the real meaning of the season."

Miller gives these tips on coping with holiday stress:

• Organize and plan all of your holiday activities ahead of time, and try to stick to the schedule.
• Prioritize your needs and simplify things.
• Shop by mail-order or do all of your shopping at one place to avoid running around.
• Establish a spending limit for gifts and stick to it.
• Volunteer to help others, such as at a soup kitchen, or homeless shelter. Helping others can help you feel good about yourself.
• Try not to overindulge in eating, drinking and sleeping.
• Do something for yourself. Buy yourself something special, or just take a few moments to relax and enjoy the holiday season.
• Make time to exercise. It will help reduce the holiday stress.
• Make plans for the new year so that you have tasks and activities to look forward to.