Managing

Holiday Stress

Managing Stress During

the Holidays

What is stress?

– A state of mental tension and worry caused by problems in your life, work,

etc.

– Something that causes strong feelings of worry or anxiety

What is a stressor?

– Anything that causes stress

Stress and Stressors

The Causes of Stress

• Work/Job

• School

• Relationships

• Children

• Natural disasters

• Trauma

• Mental health

• Lack of time

• Lack of purpose

• Holidays

• Finances

• Grief and loss

• Appearance

• Self-esteem

• Physical health

• Legal matters

• Spiritual issues

• Career direction

• Lack of control

• Economy

What causes stress?

5

Stressors are different for everyone

• Good Stress

– Promotion or raise at work

– Starting a new job

– Marriage

– Buying a home

– Having a child

– Moving

– Retiring

– Taking educational classes or

learning a new hobby

– Holidays

• Bad Stress

– The death of a family member

– Injury or illness

– Conflict in interpersonal

relationships

– Bankruptcy/Money problems

– Unemployment

– Sleep problems

– Children's problems at school

– Legal problems

Is all stress bad?

Is all stress bad?

8

Perception is everything!

When we perceive a threat:

– Our sympathetic nervous system (controls fight or flight)

is activated.

– Our parasympathetic nervous system (controls rest and

digest) is suppressed.

– The concentration of stress hormones (cortisol,

norepinephrine, etc.) in our blood increase.

Fight-or-Flight Response

Effects of Stress

There are two types of stressors: chronic and acute

– Acute stress is short term, manageable, and can result in emotional and

physical complications

– Chronic stress is long term and can result in health problems for

extended periods of time which have the potential to worsen them

Stress and Stressors

• Muscle tension

• Increased heart rate

• Increased blood pressure

• Weight loss/gain

• Autoimmune disease:

– psoriasis, multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis,

IBS, ulcerative colitis, Crohn’s disease

• Infection

• Asthma

• Wound healing

• Diabetes

• Heart attacks

• Stroke

• Heart disease

Physical Effects of Stress Hormones

How Stress Affects Health

© Copyright Mental Health America

• Easily annoyed

• Hypersensitive

• Defensive

• Nervous and anxious

• Irritable

• Depressed

• Short tempered

• Feel helpless

• Feel burned out

• Forgetfulness

• Poor concentration

• Lack of creativity

• Expecting too much

from others

• Inability to make

decisions

• Constant worrying

• Loss of humor

• Self-critical attitude

• Pessimistic outlook

Emotional & Cognitive Stress Effects

13

Managing Stress

• Healthy Stress Management

– Deep breathing

– Exercising

– Listening to music

– Humor

– Guided imagery

– Muscle relaxation

• Unhealthy Stress Management

– Overeating

– Smoking

– Oversleeping

– Alcohol/Drugs

– Anger/Lashing out

– Reckless driving

Managing Stress

15

• Religion, spirituality, reflection,

meaning

• Expectations, optimism

• Laughter, humor

• Acquaintances, social support

• X-ercise

Healthy Ways to Manage Stress

Belly breathing allows you to take in more air than when

breathing with just your chest. Belly breathing can help you

relax.

Breathing

Let’s try it!

• Take a moment to think about a memory that made you

laugh.

• Reframe a situation in your mind to see the humor in it.

• Add these to your “humor box” and pull one out when you

feel stressed.

• Smile and laugh.

Humor

Regular exercise has been proven to:

• Reduce stress

• Ward off anxiety and feelings of depression

• Boost self-esteem

• Improve sleep

Exercise also has these added health benefits:

• It strengthens your heart.

• It increases energy levels.

• It lowers blood pressure.

• It improves muscle tone and strength.

• It strengthens and builds bones.

• It helps reduce body fat.

• It makes you look fit and healthy.

Exercise

Holiday Stress

• Lack of time

• Traveling

• Guests

• Cooking and cleaning

• Gifts

• Expenses

• Weather

What causes stress around the holidays?

• The American Psychological Association engaged a study

to find out:

– What causes stress during the holidays

– How holiday stress differs from stress at other times of the year

– The differing ways to manage holiday stress

Most Common Holiday Stressors

What causes stress around the holidays?

Leading Holiday Stressors

0 20 40 60 80

Lack of Time

Lack of Money

Commercialism or hype

Pressure of giving or getting…

Family Gatherings

Staying on a diet

Increasing my credit card debt

Travel

My children Often

Sometimes

© 2015 American Psychological Association

• Holiday stress has a particular impact on women

– Women are more likely than men to report an increase of stress

during the holiday season.

– Women report stress for having the duties of holiday planning,

preparing meals, decorating, etc.

– Women are more likely to fall into bad habits to manage their stress,

like comfort eating.

Most Common Holiday Stressors

• People in the United States are more likely to feel that their

stress increases rather than decreases during the holidays.

• People who are lower middle income ($30,000-$50,000

household income) are also more likely to report an increase

in stress during the holidays.

• People under 30 are more likely to report a decrease in

stress during the holidays.

Holiday Stress Stats

Holiday Stress Study

26

Negative Holiday Emotions

Often Often/Sometimes

Fatigue 25 68

Stress 20 61

Irritability 11 52

Bloating 9 28

Sadness 7 36

Anger 7 35

Loneliness 7 26

© 2015 American Psychological Association

Holiday Stress Study

27

Holiday Changes in Stress Levels

Increase

Decrease

Stays about the same

© 2015 American Psychological Association

• The leading holiday stressors are

– Time

– Money

– Commercialism or hype

• In contrast, work and money are leading stressors during

the rest of year.

Stress Stats

Managing Holiday Stress

• Whether your stress is chronic or acute, good or bad, it is

important to manage your stress in a healthy way to avoid

negative health consequences.

• Stress management is not a one size fits all; everyone is

different. So are the ways each person chooses to manage

stress. Try out a few techniques and pick the one you like

best!

How do you manage stress during the holidays?

1. Stay healthy

– Take a nap/get full night of sleep

– Eat strategically

2. Include the people you love

– Hug them!

– Ask them for help

3. Sing a song

4. Make believe

5. Make something

– Homemade gifts

6. Put on a happy face

7. Play

– Make responsibilities fun and healthy

8. Take a timeout

Holiday Stress Relief

1. Keep things simple

2. Let go of unrealistic expectations

3. Underbook yourself

4. Take a few moments for yourself each day

5. Breathe deeply

6. Spend time with people who truly care about you

7. Set a budget for gifts and entertaining

8. Enjoy thinking about all the things you are thankful for

9. Sleep, be active, nap, be active, repeat

10.Take photos of times you enjoy

Combat That Holiday Stress

• Mail gifts ahead of time

• Make “what-if” plans

• Bring personal, special accommodations

• Respect the house rules

Solving Holiday Travel Stress

Flying

• Know when to book

• Know when you travel

• Check for delays and

cancellations

• Use smaller airports

Driving

• Enjoy the drive

• Prepare

• Be kind to your body

• The holiday season is time for enjoying family and friends,

but sometimes it can be stressful.

• When the holidays do get stressful, remember to RELAX.

• Try different stress management techniques to find what

works best for you!

• Managing stress in healthy ways doesn’t always come

naturally, but practice makes perfect!

In Summary:

UPMC Health Plan is ready to help.

• Lifestyle programs

• Condition management programs

• Assistance and support

• Tools and materials (by phone, online, email, or mail)

What can a health coach do for you?

• Explore reasons to begin making changes

• Offer information and education

• Assist you with new new skills

• Help you challenge yourself with new goals

• Help you stay on track

• Offer guidance, encouragement, and reinforcement

Ask your coach about program incentives!

Call 1-800-807-0751 to speak to a MyHealth lifestyle health coach

Lifestyle

Five options:

• Coach on call

• Onsite program

• Telegroup

• Self-study workbook

• Self-study online

Monday through Friday:

7 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Saturday:

8 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Topics:

• Tobacco cessation

• Weight management

• Stress management

• Nutrition basics

• Physical activity

… or a personalized

program just for you!

Call 1-866-778-6073 to speak to a health coach

who specializes in condition management

Condition management

Monday - Friday:

7 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Saturday:

8 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Topics include:

•Low back pain

•Diabetes

•Heart problems

•High blood pressure

•High cholesterol

•Asthma

•COPD

•Cancer

•Depression

•Behavioral health

… and many more

LifeSolutions can provide support for life’s everyday challenges

- at home and work - and connect you to resources.

LifeSolutions

Call 1-800-647-3327 Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

to schedule an appointment with a LifeSolutions counselor

Services are free and confidential.

Day and evening appointments are available.

• Counseling sessions

• 24/7 telephone support

• WorkLife services

Have a wonderful stress-

free Holiday this season

“Stress" Def. 1D. Merriam Webster Online, Merriam Webster.

Miller, Lyle H. and Smith, Alma Dell. “Stress: The Different Kinds of Stress.“ APA. "Stress: Coping with

Everyday Problems." Mental Health America.

" Good Stress, Bad Stress." Stanford Medicine Newsletter. Stanford University School of Medicine, 2012.

Anderson, Mike. "The Importance of Managing Stress." Well-Balanced Teacher. ASCD. Sept. 2010.

Robinson, Lawrence, Melinda Smith, and Robert Segal. "Stress Management." Help Guide. Oct. 2015.

Goldberg, Joseph. "Exercise and Depression." WebMD. 19 Feb. 2014.

"Holiday Stress." American Psychological Association. 1 Dec. 2006.

Asp, Karen. "9 Healthy Holiday Eating Strategies." Real Simple.

"How to Sneak in Holiday Exercise." Readers Digest. Trusted Media Brands, Inc.

Stapen, Candyce. "Tips for Stress-free Family Holiday Travel." USA Today. Gannett, 25 Nov. 2013.