{"id":227,"date":"2013-11-18T18:19:47","date_gmt":"2013-11-18T18:19:47","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/momsnetwork.com\/workathomeblog\/?p=227"},"modified":"2014-04-25T18:25:38","modified_gmt":"2014-04-25T18:25:38","slug":"doctors-8-tips-for-handling-holiday-stress","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/momsnetwork.com\/workathomeblog\/2013\/11\/18\/doctors-8-tips-for-handling-holiday-stress\/","title":{"rendered":"Doctor&#8217;s 8 Tips for Handling Holiday Stress"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><strong>\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_228\" style=\"width: 435px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-228\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-full wp-image-228\" title=\"christmas tree decorations\" src=\"http:\/\/momsnetwork.com\/workathomeblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/04\/christmas_tree_decorations_200943.jpg\" alt=\"holiday decorations\" width=\"425\" height=\"318\" srcset=\"http:\/\/momsnetwork.com\/workathomeblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/04\/christmas_tree_decorations_200943.jpg 425w, http:\/\/momsnetwork.com\/workathomeblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/04\/christmas_tree_decorations_200943-300x224.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 425px) 100vw, 425px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-228\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Stress Free Holidays<\/p><\/div>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Schedule some alone time<\/strong>\u2013The holidays can be a chaotic time with friends and family and it\u2019s ok to schedule some alone time.\u00a0 Ask your spouse to watch the kids for an hour and go to the spa, or go hit a bucket of golf balls.\u00a0 Seeking some solitude is both healthy and necessary to reduce stress.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Don\u2019t procrastinate<\/strong>\u00a0\u2013 There\u2019s so much to do: buying presents, cooking, decorating and more.\u00a0 Saving it all for the last minute will raise your stress.\u00a0 Start a few weeks ahead of time and do a little at a time. Making a list from most important to least important will also help you manage your activities better.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Eliminate financial stressors<\/strong>\u00a0\u2013 Every parent wants to buy that perfect holiday gift for their child, but big ticket items can take a toll on your wallet and your stress level.\u00a0 Make a budget when it comes to holiday shopping and stick to it.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Expect things to go wrong<\/strong>\u00a0\u2013 The Thanksgiving turkey may get overcooked; your son may hate his Christmas gift; your daughter might get sick; the point is things will go wrong.\u00a0 Appreciate the season for the time spent with loved ones and create new memories, and don\u2019t sweat the small stuff.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Holidays are not the time to resolve family conflicts<\/strong>\u00a0&#8211; Many individuals use the family holidays to try to resolve long standing conflicts with family members often with disastrous consequences, particularly when alcohol is involved. Leave addressing those issues to a later time in a one-to-one conversation.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Let others help<\/strong>\u2013Don\u2019t feel like you have to be the hero of the holiday season.\u00a0 Ask each person to bring a dish to dinner, make decorating a family activity where the kids help out, and consider a grab bag gift exchange where each person buys only one gift to alleviate the stress of having to get something for everyone.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Don\u2019t forget about you<\/strong>\u2013People get so caught up in the holidays that they forget to take care of themselves.\u00a0 Don\u2019t skip meals, get plenty of sleep, drink lots of water and stick to your exercise routine.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Stay on your medication and keep scheduled doctor\u2019s appointments<\/strong>\u00a0&#8211; If you\u2019re under the care of a psychiatrist or other mental health professional for anxiety or depression, make sure and keep your doctor\u2019s appointments this time of year and don\u2019t taper medication until after the New Year if your doctor recommends it.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Dr. Prakash Masand MD is president of Global Medical Education, and a former Consulting professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Duke University Medical Center.<\/p>\n<a class=\"synved-social-button synved-social-button-follow synved-social-size-48 synved-social-resolution-single synved-social-provider-facebook nolightbox\" data-provider=\"facebook\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow\" title=\"Follow us on Facebook\" href=\"http:\/\/www.facebook.com\/MomsNetwork\" style=\"font-size: 0px;width:48px;height:48px;margin:0;margin-bottom:5px;margin-right:5px\"><img alt=\"Facebook\" title=\"Follow us on Facebook\" class=\"synved-share-image synved-social-image synved-social-image-follow\" width=\"48\" height=\"48\" style=\"display: inline;width:48px;height:48px;margin: 0;padding: 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