Managing Stress during
the Holidays
“It’s not stress that kills us, it is our reaction to it.” - Hans Selye
By Dr. Helene Pulnik, ND well. W
hether stress is related to the busy holiday season or just to the daily grind, how we react to stress can affect our health, not just in the moment, but in the long term as
The holiday season, which begins for most Americans with
Thanksgiving and continues through New Year’s Day, often brings unwelcome guests — stress and depression. And it’s no wonder. In an effort to pull off a perfect holiday, you might find yourself facing a dizzying array of demands — parties, shopping, baking, cleaning and entertaining, to name a few. So much for peace and joy, right? The holiday season can be full of hassles, deadlines, frustrations,
and demands. For many people, holiday stress is so commonplace that it has become a way of life. Stress isn’t always bad. In small doses, it can help you perform under pressure and motivate you to do your best. But when you’re constantly running in emergency mode, your mind and body pay the price. This particular autumn season seems to be bringing a great deal more stress than usual, and people definitely appear to have higher anxiety levels than in the past. This year, there are the pressures of rising food and gas prices, the mortgage crisis, and now the federal banking bailouts. All of these factors affect people’s general health conditions. This is what people mean when they talk about the “holiday
blues.” You’re already overwhelmed and now you have to contend with the holidays. How do you handle the extra stress? Do you feel as though you can? Instead of trying to avoid stress let’s realize that stress is a fact of life nowadays and it is essential to learn healthy coping techniques for stress. If you don’t, stress will affect your sleep, immune system, and emotions. It speeds up the aging process and can lead to disease. How many of you walk around feeling less vital than you did in the past and believe that it is just part of the aging process? If you frequently find yourself feeling frazzled and over-
whelmed, it’s time to take action to bring your nervous system back into balance. You can protect yourself by learning how to recognize the signs and symptoms of stress and taking steps to reduce its harm- ful effects.
28 Natural Nutmeg December 2011 Natural Nutmeg December 2011
Here are some common signs and symptoms of stress overload: Cognitive Symptoms
• Memory problems • Inability to concentrate • Poor judgment • Seeing only the negative • Anxiety or racing thoughts • Constant worrying
Emotional Symptoms • Moodiness
• Irritability or short temper • Agitation, inability to relax • Feeling overwhelmed
• Sense of loneliness and isolation • Depression, general unhappiness • Anxiety
____________________________________________________ Physical Symptoms • Aches and pains
Behavioral Symptoms
• Diarrhea or constipation • Nausea, dizziness • Chest pain, rapid heartbeat • Loss of sex drive • Frequent colds • Exhaustion
• Eating more or less • Sleeping too much or too little • Isolating yourself from others • Procrastinating, neglecting re- sponsibilities
• Using alcohol, cigarettes, or drugs
We now know that effects of chronic stress can lead to depres- sion and anxiety, heart disease, some cancers, weight problems, and more. Because of the widespread damage stress can cause, it’s important to know your own limits and what you can do to alleviate the effects of stress on your body.
Acupuncture and Stress Reduction The traditional explanation for how acupuncture works is as fol-
lows: The flow of “life energy” called “qi” (pronounced “chi”) runs throughout the body in muscle and organ channels (called merid- ians). Most acupuncture points are located along these meridians. We tap into these points to release channel blockages and to move
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52