Tips to help manage stress over the holidays
Posted December 16, 2012 9:42 am.
This article is more than 5 years old.
VANCOUVER (NEWS1130) – Christmas is about keeping spirits high, but for many, this season is a very stressful time. News1130 is looking at how to maintain your mental well-being over the holidays.
The top tips are keeping a healthy routine and reaching out for help if things seem overwhelming. Dr. Connie Coniglio with BC Mental Health Services says it’s all about maintaining balance.
“I think the couple of things that I generally talk about are being very realistic about what the holidays are going to bring for you, what the challenges are going to be, and how you can kind of plan ahead to manage,” she describes.
Images in the media generally show Christmas as a positive time, when only good things happen to us. But Coniglio says that’s unrealistic.
“It’s supposed to be a very positive time, that you’re going to get and give presents and there’s going to be a lot of festivities and activities… It just doesn’t really necessarily work that way for lots of people.”
She suggests eating and drinking in moderation, making sure you take some time for yourself, and sharing the workload with friends and family if it all gets to be too much.
