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It should come as no surprise to you 61 percent of Americans polled by the American Psychological Association cited a lack of money as the leading cause of holiday stress, and 20 percent are concerned that could affect their physical health too. The other main stressors on the list: The pressures of gift-giving, a lack of time and credit card debt.
Thankfully, two of the top three stress-reducers people listed in the survey are very healthy for you too:
- Eating or drinking alcohol = 36 percent
- Exercise = 45 percent
- Religious or spiritual activities = 44 percent
Experts also shared a number of simple techniques for keeping the holiday season a safe and happy one for you and your family:
- Make or improve connections with family and friends
- Set realistic goals
- Keep things in perspective
- Take decisive action to address the underlying cause of a stressful situation
- Take care of yourself
One effective tool I use in my practice to help my patients get a better handle on stress and keep things in perspective is the Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT). To learn more about this proven energy psychology tool, review my free EFT manual.
Science Blog December 7, 2004