Holidays have you stressed out? Here are some tips to get through

While the holidays can bring fun, joy and merriment, they can also bring stress, depression and anxiety.

What can one do to navigate the stressors brought on by year-end celebrations so folks can actually celebrate?

Karley Hensley, Ph.D., LCPC, NCC, the director of outpatient services at Brook Lane Health Services, says there are several ways to help deal with stress, depending on the cause.

As a general method to tackle stress and anxiety, Hensley advises patients use grounding techniques. That includes recognizing your senses and asking yourself, “What can I touch, hear, smell, taste, etc.?”

“You do this to bring yourself back to a focal point, instead of allowing the thoughts in your head to ruminate,” she said.

Another technique is belly breathing.

This is when you take a deep breath and, as you do, you try to push your belly button out as far as you can. This allows you to fill your lungs more deeply, using your whole diaphragm to take the breath.

“If you’re only breathing with your chest, sometimes that can lead to an anxiety attack,” Hensley said.

But what about specific stressors?

“A lot of times, we’ll hear that there is stress related to grief, that a person has lost a significant person in their life and this is the first holiday without them,” Hensley said.

To help combat these feelings, Hensley says she tells patients to encourage a positive celebration of that person’s life, or suggests doing something with people who are just as impacted by the person’s passing as they are.

“Do this instead of allowing yourself to sit there in that grief,” she said.

What if stress comes from your financial situation?

Aside from using grounding techniques, Hensley said she tells patients to look at their resources and only spend money on that which is important. She said there are alternatives to buying presents when cash is tight, such as making a craft, or relying on a charity to help put presents under the tree.

“We try to get them over that hump and reflecting on what’s most important at the holidays,” she said.

How about one of the most common stressors during the holidays — family gatherings?

Grounding techniques help out a lot here, but Hensley also suggests setting definitive boundaries for conversations, and having a support person, such as a significant other, there to help maintain those boundaries.

If a patient hears a comment that induces anxiety, Hensley suggests going outside and using belly breathing and grounding techniques until the moment has passed.

“It’s about minding your boundaries and having a good support system,” she said.

Did you know that Meritus Health and Brook Lane have a mental health walk-in care center? The facility on the Meritus campus off Robinwood Drive serves as a behavioral health urgent care for ages 6 and older. To learn more, visit www.meritushealth.com/mentalhealth.