Holiday stress

Holiday stress is caused by heightened states of anxiety, typically during the months of November and December. This anxiety may be caused by financial instability, busy shopping malls, end of year deadlines, high workloads, depression, relationships, physical demands, or family stress.

The typical response to holiday stress is outright elimination through issue avoidance or medication, but this proves to be an ineffective method of stress management. The problem isn't the holiday season, but rather the trigger response to it. The key to successful stress relief is proactive management, that is, taking action before the stress completely overwhelms and causes burnout and mental or physical illness.

Signs of holiday stress
Signs of holiday stress include:
 * Feeling irritable
 * Feeling overwhelmed
 * Insomnia
 * Weight gain
 * Headaches
 * Sickness
 * Depression

Holiday stress tips
Tips to manage stress tend to range from managing money, relationships, workload, time, and emotional health.

Common tips include:
 * Set a budget
 * Plan ahead
 * Seek support
 * Eat and sleep well
 * Physical exercise
 * Looking past differences
 * Have realistic expectations – not perfection
 * Beat the shopping rush
 * Seek professional help