surviving holiday stress
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How to Survive Holiday Stress
Shiloh Jiwanlal, BA, BSN, MSN, ARNP, PMHCNS-BC
Clinical Nurse Specialist
Via Christi Behavioral Health
How to Survive Holiday Stress
What is stress? A normal physical
response to events that threaten or upset you.
A trigger from your brain for attention.
Response: Fight-or-Flight
How to Survive Holiday Stress
Stress Response
Physical
Cognitive
Emotional
Behavioral
• Pupils dilate• Gastrointestinal issues• Rapid heartbeat / B.P.
• Memory problems• Anxiousness• Concentration problems
• Overwhelmed feeling• Depression• Short temper
• Changes in eating• Changes in sleep• Crutches (ie: alcohol)
How to Survive Holiday Stress
Toxic Stress At a certain point,
stress starts causing major damage to your health, mood, productivity, relationships and quality of life.
Image Source: Mental Health America, www.nmha.org
How to Survive Holiday Stress
Who gets stressed? Parents (35%) are the most consistent group
reporting stress. Women (33%) feel more stressed than men
(31%) during the holidays. People who have a college degree (24%)
are less stressed.
Source: Mental Health America (formerly known as the National Mental Health Association), 2006, www.nmha.org
How to Survive Holiday Stress
Holidays increase stress!
How to Survive Holiday Stress
Holiday Stressors
Finances are the most common source of holiday stress (40%). Parents are more stressed than all other demographic groups by finances (51%), and females (45%) are more likely than men to feel stressed by finances.
37 percent of Americans feel stressed by memories of loved ones who passed away. Latinos (50%) and African Americans (46%) are most stressed by these memories, compared to Non-Hispanic Whites (34%).
Having too much to do causes stress for 34% of people during the holidays. Parents are more stressed than any other demographic group by too much to do (43%).
Source: Mental Health America formerly known as the National Mental Health Association), 2006, www.nmha.org
How to Survive Holiday Stress
Causes of Holiday Stress: Unrealistic expectations Excessive gift buying – financial stress Parties, cooking, cleaning, etc. – feelings of
being overwhelmed or exhausted Personal worth – depression
How to Survive Holiday Stress
Top 10 tips for managing stress… Manage your stress response Set realistic expectations Plan ahead Set priorities – Set limits Manageable “to do list” Stick to a budget Maintain healthy habits Delegate tasks Acknowledge your feelings Ask for help
How to Survive Holiday Stress
When to get help… Crisis indicators
Decline in work or school performance Depression, anxiety or withdrawn mood Suicidal thoughts Physical or emotional abuse Self-destructive or dangerous behavior Overwhelmed feelings Unable to cope with daily life Misuse alcohol or drugs
How to Thrive Holiday Stress
Thank you