Blog

Holiday Trash

10 Tips For Dealing With Holiday Stress


Holiday Trash


Stress is the trash of modern life. We all generate it, but if you don't dispose of it properly, it will pile up and overtake your life. This is especially true when it comes to holiday stress.

The holiday season seems to bring with it some unwelcome guests -- both depression and stress. There are so many demands placed on us during this time of year -- shopping, cleaning, parties and entertaining, just to name a few.

With a few practical tips, you can minimize holiday-related stress. Taking these to account, you might even find that you can end up enjoying the holidays more than you thought.


Tips to prevent stress during the holidays


When stress is at it's worse, you will find it difficult to stop and regroup. The best strategy is to to to get ahead of it and stop stress or depression in the first place. This is especially true if the holidays have taken an emotional toll on you in years past. Hopefully the following tips provided by the Mayo Clinic will help you.

  1. Acknowledge your feelings. If someone close to you has recently died or you can't be with loved ones, realize that it's normal to feel sadness and grief. It's OK to take time to cry or express your feelings. You can't force yourself to be happy just because it's the holiday season.

  2. Reach out. If you feel lonely or isolated, seek out community, religious or other social events. They can offer support and companionship. Volunteering your time to help others also is a good way to lift your spirits and broaden your friendships.

  3. Be realistic. The holidays don't have to be perfect or just like last year. As families change and grow, traditions and rituals often change as well. Choose a few to hold on to, and be open to creating new ones. For example, if your adult children can't come to your house, find new ways to celebrate together, such as sharing pictures, emails or videos.

  4. Set aside differences. Try to accept family members and friends as they are, even if they don't live up to all of your expectations. Set aside grievances until a more appropriate time for discussion. And be understanding if others get upset or distressed when something goes awry. Chances are they're feeling the effects of holiday stress and depression, too.

  5. Stick to a budget. Before you go gift and food shopping, decide how much money you can afford to spend. Then stick to your budget. Don't try to buy happiness with an avalanche of gifts.

    Try these alternatives:

    • Donate to a charity in someone's name.
    • Give homemade gifts.
    • Start a family gift exchange.

  6. Plan ahead. Set aside specific days for shopping, baking, visiting friends and other activities. Plan your menus and then make your shopping list. That'll help prevent last-minute scrambling to buy forgotten ingredients. And make sure to line up help for party prep and cleanup.

  7. Learn to say no. Saying yes when you should say no can leave you feeling resentful and overwhelmed. Friends and colleagues will understand if you can't participate in every project or activity. If it's not possible to say no when your boss asks you to work overtime, try to remove something else from your agenda to make up for the lost time.

  8. Don't abandon healthy habits. Don't let the holidays become a free-for-all. Overindulgence only adds to your stress and guilt.

    Try these suggestions:

    • Have a healthy snack before holiday parties so that you don't go overboard on sweets, cheese or drinks.
    • Get plenty of sleep.
    • Incorporate regular physical activity into each day.

  9. Take a breather. Make some time for yourself. Spending just 15 minutes alone, without distractions, may refresh you enough to handle everything you need to do. Find something that reduces stress by clearing your mind, slowing your breathing and restoring inner calm.

    Some options may include:

    • Taking a walk at night and stargazing.
    • Listening to soothing music.
    • Getting a massage.
    • Reading a book.

  10. Seek professional help if you need it. Despite your best efforts, you may find yourself feeling persistently sad or anxious, plagued by physical complaints, unable to sleep, irritable and hopeless, and unable to face routine chores. If these feelings last for a while, talk to your doctor or a mental health professional.

At Motivations Counseling, we want to help you to resolve emotional issues of the past and the present.  Together, we can open the door to you finding a brighter and more confident future.

Call us today for a free 10-minute consultation to see if our approach and experience are right for you.

How to reach us...

Phone: (281) 858-3001
Email: susan@motivationscounseling.com
Form: Contact Us

Coping Strategies For Anxiety


Anxiety

It's a normal emotion--everyone feels anxious now and then. Different circumstances can trigger anxiety, including nervousness due to a problem at home or work, when facing an important decision, or when about to take a test.

On the other hand, some people suffer from Anxiety disorders, which are a group of mental illnesses that can keep you from carrying on with your life in a normal fashion. People suffering from this condition find that worry and fear are both constant and overwhelming. The good new is, with treatment, most people find that they can manage these feelings and resume a fulfilling life.

It's important to seek out treatment with a trained therapist to find help. In the meantime, there are a number of coping strategies that can help you to deal with the immediate affects of anxiety.


Coping Strategies - as recommended by the Anxiety and Depression Association of America (ADAA)

  • Take a time-out. Practice yoga, listen to music, meditate, get a massage, or learn relaxation techniques. Stepping back from the problem helps clear your head.
  • Eat well-balanced meals. Do not skip any meals. Do keep healthful, energy-boosting snacks on hand.
  • Limit alcohol and caffeine, which can aggravate anxiety and trigger panic attacks.
  • Get enough sleep. When stressed, your body needs additional sleep and rest.
  • Exercise daily to help you feel good and maintain your health. Check out the fitness tips below.
  • Take deep breaths. Inhale and exhale slowly.
  • Count to 10 slowly. Repeat, and count to 20 if necessary.
  • Do your best. Instead of aiming for perfection, which isn't possible, be proud of however close you get.
  • Accept that you cannot control everything. Put your stress in perspective: Is it really as bad as you think?
  • Welcome humor. A good laugh goes a long way.
  • Maintain a positive attitude. Make an effort to replace negative thoughts with positive ones.
  • Get involved. Volunteer or find another way to be active in your community, which creates a support network and gives you a break from everyday stress.
  • Learn what triggers your anxiety. Is it work, family, school, or something else you can identify? Write in a journal when you’re feeling stressed or anxious, and look for a pattern.
  • Talk to someone. Tell friends and family you’re feeling overwhelmed, and let them know how they can help you. Talk to a physician or therapist for professional help.

  • Call us today for a free 10-minute consultation to see if our approach and experience are right for you.

    How to reach us...

    Phone: (281) 858-3001
    Email: susan@motivationscounseling.com
    Form: Contact Us

    Relationship Jumpstart Using Love Languages

    Jumpstarting Your Relationship

    Understanding Love Languages

    Are you having trouble in your relationship with your spouse or significant other? No one said relationships were easy. In fact, unhappiness in a relationship often has a simple root cause: we are speaking different love languages.

    Dr. Gary Chapman, who has worked as a marriage counselor for more than 30 years, identified what he calls the five love languages. These include Words of Affirmation, Quality Time, Receiving Gifts, Acts of Service, and Physical Touch.

    Find out more about this concept and gain a better understanding about what both you and your partner need from the relationship. Take the 5 Love Languages Quiz.

    EMDR In The News

    20/20 Report on EMDR

    EMDR, which is an acronym for Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing, works well for trauma response. We’ve used it successfully here at Motivations Counseling with a number of our clients. There are numerous studies that point to the effectiveness of this unique therapy treatment.

    For the skeptics, or anyone else simply looking for more information about EMDR, here is a 20/20 Report that was done a while back that covers it in detail.

    What to do when you are having a panic attack

    Stop and be safe

    If you feel you are having a panic attack, stop what your are doing. If you are driving, then you should safely pull off the roadway. Otherwise, simply stay where you are and try to wait it out. Don’t rush to get help as this will only add to your anxiety.

    Calm yourself

    Once you are in a safe place, try taking some deep breaths and slow down your breathing. The goal is to calm yourself to prevent from having a full-blown attack.

    Think positive thoughts

    Rather than focusing on the attack, try to conjure up a peaceful image, perhaps some scenic place like a beach, lake, or even a waterfall. Reassure yourself that the feeling will pass and that you aren’t in any real danger. Look for other distractions to take your mind off of the attack, such as looking at the second hand on your watch or counting from one to one hundred in your mind.

    Plan what to do before the next attack

    Come up with a strategy for the next time this happens. Remember how you were able to calm yourself this time and envision doing those same activities or even think of other ways to train your mind to focus on positive, calming thoughts.

    Put yourself first

    Individual treatment is often termed as psychotherapy, and is meant to help people with their emotional issues, which can range in order of their severity or intensity. The main aim of this form of therapy is to change the quality of life by defining the path of life clearly, and bringing in more clarity. Whether it is the problem of repressed childhood that you are facing, or an emotional breakdown due to divorce, failure or loss of a loved one, a professional psychologist can help you revive your mental health through systematic counselling.

    Read more

    Don’t be embarrassed to go to couples therapy

    We define the treatment path in couples therapy after patiently listening and carefully understanding the problems couple is facing. Our practical and scientific approach, while balancing and weighing the emotions at stake, helps us bring in the much needed transparency and attachment among the partners. It definitively helps in doing the right thing, and taking the right decision, not only for the relationship, but personally as well.

    Read more

    It is never to late to go to therapy

    We define the goals and objectives of the counselling sessions in a very transparent manner to help clients overcome their problems quickly and effectively, and get the new lease of life they came looking for. We work with the client as per their schedule, to fix an appointment that is mutually agreeable. We help you embrace life, the way it is meant to be.

    Read More