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With some questionable health advice being posted by your friends on Facebook, politicians arguing about the state of the American healthcare system and a new medical study being summarized in just a sentence or two on TV---that seems to contradict the study you heard summarized yesterday---it can be overwhelming to navigate the ever-changing landscape of health news.

To Your Health: Holiday Stress

It’s the most wonderful time of the year…or is it? The American Psychological Association reports early one in three Americans expects to be more stressed this holiday season. Let's look at some common holiday stressors and ways to protect your mental and physical health during the hap-happiest season of all.

The APA found people listed concerns such as not having enough money, missing loved ones and anticipating family conflict cause them stress at this time of year. Harvard Health reports that because the holiday season often requires us to keep track of and pay attention to a greater number of responsibilities than usual, the brain’s prefrontal cortex goes into overdrive. Over time, a high level of demand can decrease memory, halt production of new brain cells, and cause existing brain cells to die. However, the good news is holiday stress is a special kind of stress: an acute reaction to an immediate threat. This sort of demand is something we are more capable of dealing with.

Try to avoid overspending and focus on celebrating together and showing affection by being present, engaging, and supporting each other. If grief is a guest this Christmas, instead of trying to avoid thinking about your lost loved one, psychiatrist Ludmila De Faria suggests honoring and celebrating them perhaps by remembering them in a special way with your holiday observances. Practicing mindfulness and meditation—just noticing what you are feeling and be aware of the present moment—can particularly helpful if you are traveling, dealing with an unusual schedule, or family conflict. Prioritize, simplify, and say no. Prioritize what brings joy and emotional recharge, which might mean not baking the really involved cookie recipe this year or bowing out of a party at the end of a tiring workday.

Resources:

https://www.psychiatry.org/news-room/apa-blogs/seven-ways-to-cope-with-holiday-stress#:~:text=Looking%20ahead%20to%20holiday%20gatherings,mental%20health%20during%20the%20holidays.

https://hms.harvard.edu/news-events/publications-archive/brain/holiday-stress-brain#:~:text=Because%20the%20holiday%20season%20often,existing%20brain%20cells%20to%20die.

Dr. Brooke Hildebrand Clubbs is an assistant professor in the Department of Leadership, Middle & Secondary Education. She writes for special publications of The Southeast Missourian and is a certified Community Health Worker.