Beat the Christmas stress
Christmas is almost upon us again. The traditional build-up of pressure is all too apparent. People are rushing about buying presents, frenetically writing Christmas cards and generally fretting about the million and one things to do before Christmas.
A recent attitude survey of more than 1,500 people showed that Christmas comes second only to financial problems at the top of everyone's stress and worry list. It seems that the Christmas period is highly stressful for many people.
Stress is of course with us in a small way every day. Defining it can be hard, but a simple blanket concept is that it just includes anything that puts pressure on us. Our ability to cope may be stretched to the limit when there seems to be stress coming from all directions.
Stress itself is not what makes us feel below par. If our coping mechanisms start to fail, then we begin to feel strained. And it is this strain that makes us feel unwell, either emotionally or physically.
A wide range of symptoms can result, such as headaches, irritability, indigestion, poor concentration, forgetfulness or even panic. And these symptoms may be most marked when we are out Christmas shopping or trying to entertain visitors at Christmas – in other words, when we are most stressed.
There are two basic points to note. The first is to be aware that stress symptoms do not just come out of the blue. They come from a build-up of tension due to unresolved stresses. The second point is that stress does not automatically cause strain, because it is the way we cope with the stress that is crucial, not the stress itself.
For many people Christmas is a time of extra responsibility, and often brings a radical shift in daily patterns. Interestingly, although we tend to associate work with stress, a survey of British workers showed that for them there is greater stress outside work than during work.
And of course, Christmas often means time away from work and more time with the family and the 'extended family'. A lot of adults dread being put in the role of the child, and find that visiting parents puts them right back there. Don't let yourself be negative about it, determine to enjoy the time.
Each of us has our own preferred method of coping with stress to minimise strain. Some of these methods are more effective than others. Smoking or drinking may seem to ease bad feelings quickly, but they do so at a cost.
In general people seem to cope best when they do some of the following:
Slow down; take one thing at a time.
Make a timetable.
Work out what is important and postpone the less important things.
Try to reduce the things that are causing continued stress.
Tell yourself to be calm, aim to breathe peacefully, avoiding panicky thoughts.
Accept help when it is offered!
Have a happy Christmas.
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Wednesday 23 May 2012
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