Health Canada
Holiday time is stressful
Symptoms of Stress
u Feelings of irritability, sadness or guilt
u Change in sleep patterns
u Change in weight or appetite
u Difficulty in concentrating or making
decisions
u Negative thinking
u Loss of interest, enjoyment or energy in
something you used to enjoy
u Restlessness
Health Effects of Stress
While some people may appear to
thrive on it, stress is considered to be a risk
factor in a great many diseases, including
heart disease, some types of bowel disease,
herpes and mental illness
Stress also makes it hard for people
with diabetes to control their blood sugar.
Stress is also a risk factor in alcohol
and substance abuse, as well as weight loss
and gain. Stress has even been identified as
a possible risk factor in Alzheimer's Disease.
Severe stress can cause biochemical
changes in the body, affecting the immune
system, leaving your body vulnerable to
disease.
Minimizing Your Risk
Here are several strategies to help you
deal with stress.
Understanding stress
Notice and remember when you
experience the signs of stress. This will help
you figure out what triggers stress in you. It
may be:
Major events such as getting married,
changing jobs, moving your home, getting
The holidays can be a stressful time.
Need someone to talk to? Try the
Distress Centre of Windsor-Essex
519-256-5000
Lines are open noon to midnight
365 days of the year
divorced or coping with the death of a loved
one.
Long term worries such as financial
problems, your children's future, your job or
an ongoing illness.
Daily hassles such as traffic jams, rude
people or machines that don't work.
Coping with stress
Because everyone is different, there is
no single way to cope with stress. However,
there are a number of approaches you can
try to deal with short and long term stress.
Identify your problems. What is causing
your stress? It can be your job, a relationship
or another source altogether. Is an
unimportant surface problem masking a
deeper one? Once you know what the
problem is, you can do something about it.
Work on solutions. Start thinking about
what you can do to relieve the problem. Take
control over the issues you can manage. This
might mean looking for another job, talking
with a health professional about personal
problems or a financial counsellor. Also ask
yourself what will happen if you do nothing.
Once you make some changes to deal with
the issue, you will take pressure off yourself.
Talk about your problems. Friends,
work colleagues and family members may
not know you are having a hard time. If you
talk to them about it, it may help in two
ways. First of all, just by venting your
feelings, you will relieve some stress.
Secondly, they may suggest solutions to your
problems. If you need to talk to someone
outside your circle of family and friends,
speak to your family physician or contact a
mental health professional.
Learn about stress management. In
addition to health professionals who
specialize in stress, there are many helpful
books, films, videos, courses and workshops
available to help you learn stress
management techniques.
Reduce tension. Physical activity is a
great stress reducer. Walk, do some exercises
or garden to relieve your stress. There are
also relaxation exercises you can learn that
will take the pressure off, such as deep
breathing and stretching your whole body.
Tension meditation and progressive
relaxation are techniques that work for
many people.
Take your mind off your problems. By
reading, taking up a hobby or becoming
involved in sports, you can give yourself a
`mental holiday' from stress. It will also give
you distance from your problems, so that
they become easier to solve.
Try not to be too hard on yourself.
Stress can cause lots of negative thinking.
You may notice yourself saying things like "I
can't, won't, should, must". Be realistic. Find
realistic solutions you can achieve in steps
that will bring success.
For more information about coping with stress during the holiday season, visit the Health Canada
website
6 The HUB December 2017/January 2018