Scripps Health is one of Leucadia 101 Mainstreet Association's amazing sponsors that help bring art and music to our events all year. Now Scripps Health and Leucadia 101 have partnered to share health tips and information to enhance our vibrant and healthy community.
In our first installment we want to provide some coping strategies for managing the stress and anxiety that can come from family gatherings during the holidays. While the holidays are a time for celebration with family and friends, sometimes these activities can lead to not-so-festive feelings of stress and anxiety.
Simply put: Many people find these annual reunions stressful. Perhaps because the many pressures to fit all of the holiday extras into an already-busy schedule, spend lots of money on gifts, and the fear of potential conflicts with different personalities altogether.
Here are 10 tips to help make your family festivities more enjoyable and less stressful:
1. Adjust your attitude
Try focusing on the positive. “Before get-togethers with family members, think about the qualities you like about them, rather than focusing on the negative,” says Diep Ho, MD, a family medicine physician at Scripps Clinic Rancho San Diego.
Instead of worrying about what could happen, choose behaviors that can help decrease your anxiety. Before an event, do something relaxing, such as practicing yoga or listening to music.
2. Have realistic expectations
Don’t expect people to change when they have behaved in the same way for years. Minimize your contact with difficult relatives, and spend more time interacting with those you like or get along with better.
3. Keep potentially upsetting topics off-limits
Politics and religion are obvious, but people also bring up touchy subjects without thinking about how they might affect others. Plan to keep conversation conflict-free by avoiding potentially sensitive topics.
“Simply say, ‘Let’s not get into that now.’ Then change the topic,” says Thomas Lian, a psychiatrist and behavioral health medical director with Scripps Health.
4. Accept the only thing you can control is your reaction
You can’t stop people from bringing up controversial subjects or asking rude questions, but you can monitor and modify your own reactions. No one can force you to engage in a negative conversation.
“Keep in mind that you can only change yourself. You can’t change what your difficult relatives are going to do,” says Dr. Ho. “Don’t waste your energy trying to change others and accept that you can only control your own actions and thoughts.”
5. Don’t drink too much
If you drink alcohol, do so in moderation. Some people become aggressive or argumentative when they’ve had too much to drink. Avoid people who have had too much to drink, and don’t let them drive.
6. Stay active
Get out into nature if you can and enjoy the fresh air. Nature has calming benefits as well. Exercise with a friend you've been meaning to catch up with and cross two tasks off of your list at once. You can also play a game or watch a funny movie that will keep you engaged. Head down to your favorite beach for play in the sand and surf and surround yourself with the white noise of crashing waves to reset your mind.
7. Practice gratitude
Anxiety can be diminished by focusing on the things we enjoy and value. Take a time-out and think about all you have to be grateful for.
Remember, the holidays can be a special time to celebrate your accomplishments, reflect on your goals and envision your future.
8. Practice tolerance
“We all do things that irritate other people, and we probably aren’t aware of it,” says Dr. Lian.
Try to be tolerant of others people’s quirks and behaviors that irritate you. Don’t take them personally. “If nothing else, remember you only have to experience it for a little while,” Dr. Lian says.
9. Bring a happy reminder
Looking at a favorite photograph, a funny text from a friend or anything else that makes you smile can go a long way toward relieving stress. When things get too stressful, plan to sneak away and take a break.
10. Breathe
When you feel overwhelmed or find yourself getting tense or anxious, take a few minutes to focus only on your breathing.
Take several deep breaths, counting five seconds in, and five seconds out. This deep, deliberate breathing automatically short-circuits the stress response in your body, slows your heart rate, and allows you to get back to a calmer state. Plus, you can do it anywhere, any time.
“To Your Health” is brought to you by the physicians and staff of Scripps. For more information, please visit www.scripps.org/CNP or call (858) 207-4317
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