William Penn Life, 1999 (34. évfolyam, 2-12. szám)
1999-12-01 / 12. szám
STRKS Six Holiday -busters by Debora J. Orrik, M.A., LCDC.CTAC-ACP From drkoop.com THE "HOLIDAY BLUES" can be temporary depression, or just sadness and disappointment. Sometimes the holiday blues may contribute to long-lasting health problems, such as clinical depression, alcoholism, eating disorders, or weight gain. Not to mention financial ailments caused by overuse of the credit card muscles. Stress is often the main cause of the holiday blues. So here are some tips for combating the stress of the season. 1. Remember your values. The holidays are a time of giving, sharing and caring, and being with family and friends. It's not about what you buy, the crystal or your dinner table, which parties you attend, or whether you drown your kids in toys. We all complain about the materialism and commercialism of the season, but many of us pursue it madly anyway. True contentment and satisfaction won't be found neatly wrapped under the Christmas tree. 2. Don't be Superman/ Superwoman. Set limits for the season in terms of time, spending and activities. You simply cannot do everything or be everywhere at once. 3. Volunteer. It's amazing what helping others can do to lift your spirits and make you appreciate your life. Can't find even a few hours for this? Here's an idea: volunteer some time that you'd otherwise spend gift-shopping. Then give some of your gift-recipients donations in their names to a worthy cause. 4. Give yourself time to grieve. Holidays can be painful if you're spending them without a loved one who died during the year. There's no magic formula for relieving the pain of such a loss. It may help somewhat if you designate special time during the holidays to rcyzj honor and remember the person who died. Face your feelings about family conflicts. Don't expect family problems to vanish during the holidays. They may actually get worse, precisely because of such unrealistic expectations. This isn't a good time to resolve conflicts. Try to focus on the positive and overlook the negative. If the conflict is just unbearable for you, minimize the time you spend at the family gathering. Plan to do something pleasurable to reduce your stress beforehand or afterwards. 6. Acknowledge your expectations. Give serious thought to unrealistic and perhaps subconscious expectations about the way things "should" be and what you "must" do. Setting realistic goals and expectations will help you get more out of life all year round. But it's especially important now, when the stress of trying to create the perfect holidays can really wear you down. Copyright (c) 1999. drkoop.com. Reprinted with permission ofdrkoop.com, Incorporated, 7000 N. Mopac, Suite 400, Austin, TX 78731. www.drkoop.com. Health Links As always, the best place to go for detailed information about any health related issue-and how it relates to you-is your doctor. However, for basic information about health topics, including more information about stress management, one of the best sites on the internet is drkoop.com. It receives more “hits” each month than any other heaith-related web site; Find out why by entering: 3 http://www.drkoop.com Ni lie, December 1999 5
