Eating right, sleeping helpful to overcome holidays’ stress

Overcrowded schedules, bills, conflicts at work or at home are all stressors people experience on a regular basis.

The holidays, with their high expectations for bringing joy and good cheer, can add yet another layer of stress to an already difficult year.

“The best way to deal with stress is to combat it in healthy ways,” said Ashley Foster, extension family and consumer science program associate for the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture.

“Examples of tools include nurturing support from friends and family, eating right, getting exercise and getting sleep and reframing your thinking,” Foster said.

During the holidays, eating right, getting sleep and exercise can be tough, never mind the pressures of trying to host the perfect pandemic holiday gathering.

Foster said managing expectations is a good first step toward reducing holiday stress.

“Be realistic about what you can do during the holidays,” she said. “The pandemic has made things immeasurably more difficult. Don’t try to take on the whole world to create the perfect holiday gathering.

“It’s easy to feel like the whole world is on your shoulders at this time — especially in a year that has seen so many unsettling events,” Foster said.

“Don’t feel like you have to do it all now. This is the time to take things one step at a time.”

This is also a time to stop and think. Foster said taking a few moments for quiet time and reflection can go a long way to increasing tolerance to stress and even finding creative solutions to problems one may be facing.

WHEN TO GET HELP

Sometimes, however, even help from family, friends and a healthy support network, may not be enough. That’s the time to consider whether professional help may be needed.

Foster said the American Psychological Association offers these guidelines to help determine whether the situation calls for outside help:

■ Thinking about or coping with the issue takes up at least an hour each day.

■ The issue causes embarrassment or makes a person want to avoid others.

■ The issue has caused one’s quality of life to decrease.

■ The issue has negatively affected school, work or relationships.

■ A person has made changes in their life or developed habits to cope with the issue.

Other signs include experiencing a sense of being overwhelmed or feeling hopeless, fatigued; experiencing unusual rage or anger, anxiety or apathy; or feeling more withdrawn than usual.

“It’s especially important to consider getting help if you feel controlled by symptoms or if they could cause harm to yourself or others,” Foster said.

If you or someone you know needs immediate help, contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255, chat online at https://suicidepreventionlifeline.org/, or call 911.

The Cooperative Extension Service has many resources to help individuals and families cope with stress.

Be sure to contact a county extension office or visit https://www.uaex.edu/health-living/personal-fam-ily-well-being/.

To learn about extension and research programs in Arkansas, visit https://division.uaex.edu/.

Follow the agency on Twitter at @AgInArk, @uaex_edu or @ArkAgResearch.