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June 2014 | Read this issue and more at www.healthandwellnessmagazine.net |
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Have a Healthy Vacation
By Dr. Tom Miller, Staff Writer
At last it is summer vacation as
schools across the country close for
the year, leaving many families with
scheduling challenges because of this
harsh winter we have experienced.
While summer vacation equals fun
for many students, it may lead to
added stress for parents and family
members. Finding day care options
for children out of school and
even planning family vacations can
leave parents feeling stretched and
stressed.
Stress related to summer break
or vacation planning can increase
reliance on the unhealthy behaviors
many people already use to cope
with everyday life. The American
Psychological Association notes
that increased reliance on unhealthy
behaviors to manage stress, such as
drinking heavily or overeating, can
lead to long-term, serious health
problems. Here are three key steps to
effectively managing the pressures of
planning for this summer’s vacation.
1. Identify the stressors. What
events or situations trigger stressful
feelings? Are they related to planning
family vacations or to other situations such as family health, financial
decisions, work, or something else?
2. Understand how you experience stress. Everyone experiences
stress differently. How do you know
when you are becoming stressed?
How are your thoughts or behaviors
different from times when you are
not feeling stressed?
3. Recognize how you deal with
stress. Determine if you are using
unhealthy behaviors to cope with the
stress. Is this a routine behavior, or is
it specific to making decisions about
family vacations or other situations?
Put things in perspective — make
time for what’s really important and
plan only the family activities that
are right for you.
Managing your own stress as a
parent can go a long way in helping your children learn to manage
their own stressful life experiences.
Consider encouraging healthy,
stress-reducing activities — taking
a short walk, exercising, starting a
project, or spending quality time
together at home. Keep in mind that
unhealthy behaviors develop over
time and can be difficult to change.
Don’t take on too much at once.
Focus on changing only one behavior at a time. Accepting help from
supportive friends and family can
improve your ability to persevere
during stressful times, even if that
stress is a result of family vacation
planning. If you continue to feel
overwhelmed by stressful experiences, you may want to discuss this
with a mental health professional
who is trained to help manage stress
and change unhealthy behaviors.
Stress related to
summer break or
vacation planning
can increase reliance
on the unhealthy
behaviors many
people already
use to cope with
everyday life.