While the holiday season is a time of celebration, togetherness, reflection and giving, it's also a time many of us feel more stressed.
Studies show nearly 90% of Americans feel stressed during the holiday season. With that in mind, ensuring your well being is at the top of your Christmas check list.
"Rule number one is rule number one for a reason: You got to take care of yourself," said Banner Wyoming Medical Center's Dr. Marshall Henderson.
Henderson said there are many reasons why people feel more stressed during the most wonderful time of the year, with the main culprit of doing too many things at once.
"The things that we give up the most is our personal time, our relaxation time, our sleep. We're giving up all those extra things to do all the extra things that you do for the holidays."
While there are many causes of stress, Henderson said on the flip side, there are many ways to healthily reduce it.
"Exercise being the chief among them," he said. "Spending some time in the outdoors, maybe not when it's this windy, but definitely a great way to relieve stress.”
Henderson continued, “Some social interaction where you're not expected to do anything, so time with friends and family, but a lot of different ways. Mindfulness, meditation."
Henderson went on to say having somebody trustworthy to talk to is also a great way to help reduce stress.
"At least having somebody to talk to, I think, is a very good way to reduce stress and managing those things," he said. "Rule number one is take care of yourself, because if you don't take care of yourself, you can't take care of anybody else, and if you can't take care of yourself, then nobody else is going to."
Henderson said the most common holiday stressors involve money worries, difficult family dynamics and the pressure for perfection.
Republished with permission from Wyoming News Now, a TV news outlet covering the Cheyenne and Casper areas.
