Holiday Stress: The Depressing Gift That Keeps on Giving
Wise & Well Weekly: The newsletter helping you make tomorrow a little better than today
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THIS WEEK’S SPOTLIGHT
Funny how we call this the “holiday” period. Holidays ought to be a time to relax, but that’s not what most of us do. In a new survey, 51% of US adults say it takes them weeks to get over the stress of the holidays, and 71% end up regretting they didn’t relax more during the holidays. This third stat could explain the other two: A whopping 79% agreed that they’re so focused on “creating special moments for others they overlook their own needs.”
Bottom line: Holiday stress is common and lasting, and it’s really bad for our health.
“Chronic stress can negatively impact both your long-term mental and physical health in many ways if left unmanaged,” said Glenn Levine, M.D., a volunteer with the American Heart Association who was asked to comment on the findings. “The holidays are an easy time to justify putting off healthy habits, but it’s important to manage chronic stress and other risk factors to stay healthy during the holiday season and into the New Year.”
Below you’ll find several articles to help you navigate the stress of the season. Meanwhile, Short of opting out — hmm… — at least you can take comfort in knowing that a majority of folks are ruining their physical and mental well-being right along with you. Happy Holidays!
HEALTHY READING
A selection of recent informative and insightful Wise & Well articles:
An Amazing Sleep Aid: Cyclic Sighing
An anxiety-reducing breathing technique has yielded impressive results for this psychiatrist and also for his patients who have trouble falling and staying asleep. Learn the science behind this incredibly simple technique.
— By John Kruse MD, PhD
How Diet Changes Help Lift My Lousy Moods
This writer, doctor and clinical nutrition resident struggle with bad moods every winter. But with the help of solid scientific research, she’s learned that the right food can help remedy the blues and even help battle full-blown depression. And yes, she’s got suggestions for you.
— By Denny Pencheva, MD
Mindful Eating: Lowering the Risk From the №1 Killer
Mindfulness meditation has been shown to lower the risk of heart disease, the leading cause of mortality. This medical doctor and mindfulness coach is dying to fill you in on the details of the latest research and how you can leverage mindfulness and other strategies to create a healthier mind and body.
— By Eric J. Kort MD
- See also: Skip the Donut When Stressed, by Annie Foley
How to Successfully Navigate Holiday Loneliness
The pressure to feel merry this time of year can be crushing for some people. More than a third of Americans say they’d prefer to just skip holiday festivities. In the UK, 17% of people feel lonier during the holiday period than at other times. This self-described lonely writer argues that instead of trying to banish loneliness, it should be embraced. Skip the celebrations, the decorations, the gatherings, and fully acknowledge the unrealistic expectations that come with the season.
— By Stephan Joppich
- See also: How to Survive Holiday Chaos, by Gail Post, PhD
The Self-Destructive Nature of Human Nature
I’ve reached one inescapable conclusion after another year of examining the science behind our fears and frustrations, what makes us well and wise or otherwise, and the really stupid things we do to sabotage ourselves: We’re a species of blithering idiots. So I took stock of the idiotic idiosyncrasies I wrote about this year, in hopes of helping us all get our acts together in 2024.
— By Robert Roy Britt
RANDOM BIT OF WISDOM
“Be always at war with your vices, at peace with your neighbors, and let each New Year find you a better man.”
— Benjamin Franklin
Wise & Well writers are physicians, psychiatrists, research scientists, dieticians, fitness experts, journalists and other professionals who share their expertise to help you make tomorrow a little better than today. Like what you see? Please follow Wise & Well and/or subscribe to this newsletter. — Rob
