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Tuesday, November 15, 2005
IT’S THE MOST WONDERFUL TIME OF THE YEAR…OR IS IT?

TIPS FOR MANAGING HOLIDAY STRESS Most of us strive to make the holidays the best time of the year. We spend, decorate, bake and plan for the “perfect” holiday which exists only in books, movies, television shows, and our own ideals of what “should” be. We may have transformed what was once a time for simple joy, pleasure and making good memories into a season of excesses, eating, drinking, fretting, spending, and expecting too much.

Emotional stress and strain are not unusual during the holidays, and mental healthcare professionals from Methodist Specialty and Transplant Hospital offer these tips for managing holiday stress:

  • Form Realistic Expectations. Plan holiday activities you enjoy the most. Eliminate activities you least enjoy. Don’t try to make this “The Perfect Holiday.”
  • Prioritize. Make a list of what must be done and what would be a nice addition. There is a lot of difference between “I do it” and “it gets done.” Share shopping, cooking and cleaning responsibilities with others.
  • Practice Moderation. You can’t do everything, but you can do and enjoy the most important things. Don’t try to do it all. Save something for next year. Keep your holiday simple. More is not necessarily better.
  • Preserve Meaningful Traditions. Remember what this holiday season represents. Preserve and start new holiday traditions that build connections among your family and friends. Traditions are an important way to reinforce values and spiritual experiences. Take time to enjoy the journey, not just the destination.
  • Take care of yourself. Get enough sleep and exercise. Eat and drink sensibly. Make connections with friends and family and gather support. Take time to rest and recuperate. Do what is in your heart and within your budget and timeline to do. Do not compare yourself to others.
With advance notice we can arrange for interviews with a spokesperson from Methodist Specialty and Transplant Hospital on holiday stress. You may want to use some footage from your files showing people shopping, baking, decorating, etc. as visuals. You also may want to develop “person-on-the-street” interviews to find out what individuals do to handle their holiday stress and combine them with advice from one of our mental health care professionals.

If you are interested in doing a story, please phone Shirley Wills at 822-2378 or 365-4488(cell) or JoAnn King, 575-0171 or 917-7916 (pager). For media assistance during the weekend, please phone Methodist Hospital, 575-4000, and ask for the public relations representative on call.