Holiday Stress Coping: grow your personal skills this holiday season

Before you spend this holiday season stressed out over money, relatives and family, jobs, and eating, consider slowing your stress down. You can gain valuable personal insights if you first take a few moments to prepare yourself.

This video demonstrates how people are affected by the holidays, which problems are stressful, and how to cope:



Here are more helpful tips for making this season one of personal growth and development:

Consume Less-
Making a conscious decision to consume less can have enormous positive effects on your soul. Eating less, buying less, and using less gives you peace, and a healthy "sense of place" in the world. You feel grateful for what you have, which makes you feel a deeper sense of peace. Your bank account will thank you, too, which then will ease financial stresses.
If feeling more peaceful weren't enough, a huge benefit of lighter consumption is Knowing that You Didn't Gain Weight over the Holidays! Maintaining your usual weight, or even losing weight, will leave you with reduced stress and more self-confidence. Amidst all the food and gluttony, take a stand and consume less.
Consider reviewing this article and video about an English man who is taking a light-consumption attitude:
http://higher-lifestyle.blogspot.com/2008/11/food-and-eating-holidays-skew.html

Get Outdoors-
Being outside will always lift your spirits. Listening to birds chirping, feeling a breezy wind, watching snow fall, or hearing a trickling stream can have a magical, calming effect on your soul. Nature instills peace.
Also, outdoor activities, like playing in your local park, can be free or inexpensive. Instead of stressing about buying movie tickets for the whole family, plan some time outdoors.

Coping with chronic illness, Alzheimer's drug

This video points out how we often find helpful treatments in unlikely places. In this case, an anti-histamine provides some relief from the rapid decline with Alzheimer's disease. Pay close attention to the last comments by the news reporter, then read on after watching:



Coping with any chronic illness implies emotional challenges for the ill individual and their family. Losing hope is but one piece of the emotional puzzle. Let's look more in-depth at chronic illness, and how coping and emotions are affected.

Physical.
When one is diagnosed with any type of chronic illness, several psychological responses naturally occur. Mourning, or grief, are commonly felt. They are related to these losses:
* Loss of Health, considering that they might never return to the healthier state they once enjoyed
* Loss of a "normal" Lifestyle, realizing the need to adapt permanently
* Loss of fun, activities that might be restricted or completely denied, forever
* Mourning resilience and feeling omnipotent, coping with mortality and disease

New physical limitations may also affect one's mood, sleep, and happiness. If you lead an active, fit lifestyle, participating in sports and recreational hobbies, you may suddenly be unable to engage in your favorite activities.
Then, inactivity can lead to changes in mood and energy, sleep, and productivity. Then these changes can affect one's personality, emotions, and ability to cope. (A snowball effect begins)

Social factors.
When one is diagnosed with a disease, they must cope with how their social life is impacted. They may feel resentful, bitter, and frustrated by how they are impacted.
Their social interactions may become limited or completely restricted due to their illness. They might not be able to play sports with their team, or go for trips with clubs or groups.
The ill individual may be compromised by treatments. They might feel that social outings have become too troublesome, so they avoid them.
With a recent diagnosis, you might feel awkward around others. Perhaps you do not want to explain your illness, your symptoms, your treatments, your "sick story" to others.

Then there is always the possibility that your chronic illness barely affects your everyday activities. Or some days you are symptom-free, while other days you are a wreck. These are all different dynamics that have their own unique influence on one's emotions and coping.

Coping and support.
Regardless of what type of illness you have, it is important to get support.

Don't feel like you must cope alone.

Take comfort in friends and family, support groups, healthcare providers, psychotherapists and counselors, and other individuals with the same condition.