OH! Magazine - Australian Version December 2018 | Page 10

( SILLY SEASON SURVIVAL GUIDE )
8 WAYS TO COPE WITH
STRESS & ANXIETY
Clinical psychologist Judy Chan shares her tips to help you cope this Christmas.
he financial pressures of gift-
giving, family conflicts, family
expectations, or feelings of isolation can
cause stress and anxiety for some people
during the festive season. It’s also a time
when many support services are on break.
While we cannot change these
circumstances, we can improve how we
cope with them.
T
The cost pressures of gift-giving or
unresolved family issues are real sources
of anxiety for many – not least the 14 per
cent of Australians suffering from an
anxiety disorder 1 . Also for many, there is
the added stress of dividing time between
in-laws – even when they live near –
coping with isolation when family is far, or
coping with grief or sadness when a
family member has been lost to separatin,
divorce or death.
Here are eight tips for helping you to
manage stress and anxiety during the
Christmas period.
1. Do not overthink and catastrophise
situations
Catastrophising
current
or
future
scenarios can be the result, or cause, of
anxiety. Try to start noticing when your
mind is going down this path. When it
does, visualise a STOP sign, tell yourself
you do not know the outcome, try and
look at the situation from different
perspectives, and come to a more
reasonable and likely conclusion. Another
strategy for coping with these thoughts is
to discuss them with a close friend you
trust who can be a good sounding board
and reality check.
attend, agreeing to host a dinner at your
house, or offering to make that extra dish
for a party, take the time to consider
whether you can realistically commit.
Realise that some people might be put
off, but that you do not need to please
everyone, and each person is responsible
for their own feelings. Practise saying no.
4. Do not aim for perfection
Not only is perfection impossible, but no
event, gathering or gift needs to be
perfect to create an enjoyable time. When
choosing gifts, planning Christmas lunch,
or organising family holidays, train
yourself to look at the big picture, to avoid
getting bogged down worrying about the
small stuff. Set achievable Christmas
party or holiday goals, and focus on all of
the positive things you are doing.
2. Limit your alcohol intake
While we may not be able to change the
circumstances creating such pressures,
we can change the way we cope with
them internally and manage them
externally.
Learning to identify anxiety and stress, or
the triggers that cause them, and then
developing the strategies to overcome
them, can help us to manage these
conditions over the holidays.
Our behaviours can also impact our
psyche, so it’s important to set restrictions
on the amount of alcohol we consume
over the Christmas period, and take the
time to exercise, eat healthily and do the
things that we enjoy.
Implementing strategies to cope with the
additional pressures of Christmas will
ultimately improve the quality of our
holidays.
10
OH! MAGAZINE ( DECEMBER 2018 )
5. Take time out
While alcohol is often used to alleviate
stress, it is a very short-term solution and
can aggravate anxiety in the long term.
This is because, as a central nervous
system depressant, alcohol lowers our
ability to exercise sound judgement and
control behaviour. A good way to limit
alcohol is to have at least two alcohol-free
days a week, especially during the holiday
period, limit your intake to two drinks a
day, or alternate between alcoholic and
non-alcoholic drinks when socialising.
3. Do not take on responsibilities you
cannot realistically commit to
Never saying no can be caused by a fear
of rejection or disapproval. It can cause
you to stretch yourself too thin and end
up stressed and anxious. Before accepting
a Christmas invitation you are too busy to
Do you get addicted to the rush of a busy
work schedule? Keeping busy can give us
a sense of purposefulness, or help us to
avoid dealing with other issues, but we
can become addicted to the ongoing
adrenalin and the dopamine rush we get
from completing tasks. This can often
lead to stress, social isolation or even
feelings of anxiousness when we find
ourselves with free time. Once a week
aim to do relaxing things you enjoy.
6. Relax your body
You might already feel anxious. Know that
your body reflects how you feel inside.
When you are stressed, you often
unconsciously cross your legs tightly, tap
our feet when seated, clench our hands,
or frown. Checking these actions, undoing