Rutgers experts give tips for maintaining a healthy mind and keeping stress at bay during the holidays
The season of joy often also heralds a season of stress. There are activities to attend, the house to clean, food to cook and, of course, gifts to purchase. These pressures can add to stress and affect your mental health.
Keith Stowell, chief medical officer at Rutgers University Behavioral Health Care, and Kelly Moore, director of the Center for Psychological Services at the Rutgers Graduate School of Applied and Professional Psychology, discuss some practical tips can help minimize holiday stress.
What contributes to holiday stress for adults?
Stowell: As social obligations and activities increase, so do stress levels. Some people find interacting with family members or colleagues stressful, while others may be grieving the loss of a loved one. Additionally, financial stressors can be significant, especially if people are not in a position to purchase gifts for friends and loved ones when there is a seeming cultural obligation to gift giving at this time.
Moore: As we know, the impact of the pandemic is still being felt in many different ways. During the holidays, there may still be folks who are not able to spend time together due to illness and lingering fears about exposure to COVID-19, as well as the flu and respiratory syncytial virus outbreaks that are occurring.
What are some signs that you or someone you love is getting overwhelmed?
Stowell: Watch out for difficulty sleeping and changes in appetite, as well as emotional changes, such as sadness, anxiety, irritability and impatience. If you have existing mental health problems, are they getting worse?
Moore: If you have youth in your life that you are concerned about, watch for changes in behavior such as increased clinginess, frequent reassurance seeking and withdrawing from activities that they previously enjoyed or completed with ease. I also always encourage parents to take a look at their child's phone or tablet every once in a while to get a sense of the content they are consuming.
What can people do to alleviate stress?
