Holiday Stress Lunch and Learn.pdf
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Transcript of Holiday Stress Lunch and Learn.pdf
Managing
Holiday Stress
Managing Stress During
the Holidays
What is stress?
– A state of mental tension and worry caused by problems in your life, work,
etc.
– Something that causes strong feelings of worry or anxiety
What is a stressor?
– Anything that causes stress
Stress and Stressors
The Causes of Stress
• Work/Job
• School
• Relationships
• Children
• Natural disasters
• Trauma
• Mental health
• Lack of time
• Lack of purpose
• Holidays
• Finances
• Grief and loss
• Appearance
• Self-esteem
• Physical health
• Legal matters
• Spiritual issues
• Career direction
• Lack of control
• Economy
What causes stress?
5
Stressors are different for everyone
• Good Stress
– Promotion or raise at work
– Starting a new job
– Marriage
– Buying a home
– Having a child
– Moving
– Retiring
– Taking educational classes or
learning a new hobby
– Holidays
• Bad Stress
– The death of a family member
– Injury or illness
– Conflict in interpersonal
relationships
– Bankruptcy/Money problems
– Unemployment
– Sleep problems
– Children's problems at school
– Legal problems
Is all stress bad?
Is all stress bad?
8
Perception is everything!
When we perceive a threat:
– Our sympathetic nervous system (controls fight or flight)
is activated.
– Our parasympathetic nervous system (controls rest and
digest) is suppressed.
– The concentration of stress hormones (cortisol,
norepinephrine, etc.) in our blood increase.
Fight-or-Flight Response
Effects of Stress
There are two types of stressors: chronic and acute
– Acute stress is short term, manageable, and can result in emotional and
physical complications
– Chronic stress is long term and can result in health problems for
extended periods of time which have the potential to worsen them
Stress and Stressors
• Muscle tension
• Increased heart rate
• Increased blood pressure
• Weight loss/gain
• Autoimmune disease:
– psoriasis, multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis,
IBS, ulcerative colitis, Crohn’s disease
• Infection
• Asthma
• Wound healing
• Diabetes
• Heart attacks
• Stroke
• Heart disease
Physical Effects of Stress Hormones
How Stress Affects Health
© Copyright Mental Health America
• Easily annoyed
• Hypersensitive
• Defensive
• Nervous and anxious
• Irritable
• Depressed
• Short tempered
• Feel helpless
• Feel burned out
• Forgetfulness
• Poor concentration
• Lack of creativity
• Expecting too much
from others
• Inability to make
decisions
• Constant worrying
• Loss of humor
• Self-critical attitude
• Pessimistic outlook
Emotional & Cognitive Stress Effects
13
Managing Stress
• Healthy Stress Management
– Deep breathing
– Exercising
– Listening to music
– Humor
– Guided imagery
– Muscle relaxation
• Unhealthy Stress Management
– Overeating
– Smoking
– Oversleeping
– Alcohol/Drugs
– Anger/Lashing out
– Reckless driving
Managing Stress
15
• Religion, spirituality, reflection,
meaning
• Expectations, optimism
• Laughter, humor
• Acquaintances, social support
• X-ercise
Healthy Ways to Manage Stress
Belly breathing allows you to take in more air than when
breathing with just your chest. Belly breathing can help you
relax.
Breathing
Let’s try it!
• Take a moment to think about a memory that made you
laugh.
• Reframe a situation in your mind to see the humor in it.
• Add these to your “humor box” and pull one out when you
feel stressed.
• Smile and laugh.
Humor
Regular exercise has been proven to:
• Reduce stress
• Ward off anxiety and feelings of depression
• Boost self-esteem
• Improve sleep
Exercise also has these added health benefits:
• It strengthens your heart.
• It increases energy levels.
• It lowers blood pressure.
• It improves muscle tone and strength.
• It strengthens and builds bones.
• It helps reduce body fat.
• It makes you look fit and healthy.
Exercise
Holiday Stress
• Lack of time
• Traveling
• Guests
• Cooking and cleaning
• Gifts
• Expenses
• Weather
What causes stress around the holidays?
• The American Psychological Association engaged a study
to find out:
– What causes stress during the holidays
– How holiday stress differs from stress at other times of the year
– The differing ways to manage holiday stress
Most Common Holiday Stressors
What causes stress around the holidays?
Leading Holiday Stressors
0 20 40 60 80
Lack of Time
Lack of Money
Commercialism or hype
Pressure of giving or getting…
Family Gatherings
Staying on a diet
Increasing my credit card debt
Travel
My children Often
Sometimes
© 2015 American Psychological Association
• Holiday stress has a particular impact on women
– Women are more likely than men to report an increase of stress
during the holiday season.
– Women report stress for having the duties of holiday planning,
preparing meals, decorating, etc.
– Women are more likely to fall into bad habits to manage their stress,
like comfort eating.
Most Common Holiday Stressors
• People in the United States are more likely to feel that their
stress increases rather than decreases during the holidays.
• People who are lower middle income ($30,000-$50,000
household income) are also more likely to report an increase
in stress during the holidays.
• People under 30 are more likely to report a decrease in
stress during the holidays.
Holiday Stress Stats
Holiday Stress Study
26
Negative Holiday Emotions
Often Often/Sometimes
Fatigue 25 68
Stress 20 61
Irritability 11 52
Bloating 9 28
Sadness 7 36
Anger 7 35
Loneliness 7 26
© 2015 American Psychological Association
Holiday Stress Study
27
Holiday Changes in Stress Levels
Increase
Decrease
Stays about the same
© 2015 American Psychological Association
• The leading holiday stressors are
– Time
– Money
– Commercialism or hype
• In contrast, work and money are leading stressors during
the rest of year.
Stress Stats
Managing Holiday Stress
• Whether your stress is chronic or acute, good or bad, it is
important to manage your stress in a healthy way to avoid
negative health consequences.
• Stress management is not a one size fits all; everyone is
different. So are the ways each person chooses to manage
stress. Try out a few techniques and pick the one you like
best!
How do you manage stress during the holidays?
1. Stay healthy
– Take a nap/get full night of sleep
– Eat strategically
2. Include the people you love
– Hug them!
– Ask them for help
3. Sing a song
4. Make believe
5. Make something
– Homemade gifts
6. Put on a happy face
7. Play
– Make responsibilities fun and healthy
8. Take a timeout
Holiday Stress Relief
1. Keep things simple
2. Let go of unrealistic expectations
3. Underbook yourself
4. Take a few moments for yourself each day
5. Breathe deeply
6. Spend time with people who truly care about you
7. Set a budget for gifts and entertaining
8. Enjoy thinking about all the things you are thankful for
9. Sleep, be active, nap, be active, repeat
10.Take photos of times you enjoy
Combat That Holiday Stress
• Mail gifts ahead of time
• Make “what-if” plans
• Bring personal, special accommodations
• Respect the house rules
Solving Holiday Travel Stress
Flying
• Know when to book
• Know when you travel
• Check for delays and
cancellations
• Use smaller airports
Driving
• Enjoy the drive
• Prepare
• Be kind to your body
• The holiday season is time for enjoying family and friends,
but sometimes it can be stressful.
• When the holidays do get stressful, remember to RELAX.
• Try different stress management techniques to find what
works best for you!
• Managing stress in healthy ways doesn’t always come
naturally, but practice makes perfect!
In Summary:
UPMC Health Plan is ready to help.
• Lifestyle programs
• Condition management programs
• Assistance and support
• Tools and materials (by phone, online, email, or mail)
What can a health coach do for you?
• Explore reasons to begin making changes
• Offer information and education
• Assist you with new new skills
• Help you challenge yourself with new goals
• Help you stay on track
• Offer guidance, encouragement, and reinforcement
Ask your coach about program incentives!
Call 1-800-807-0751 to speak to a MyHealth lifestyle health coach
Lifestyle
Five options:
• Coach on call
• Onsite program
• Telegroup
• Self-study workbook
• Self-study online
Monday through Friday:
7 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Saturday:
8 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Topics:
• Tobacco cessation
• Weight management
• Stress management
• Nutrition basics
• Physical activity
… or a personalized
program just for you!
Call 1-866-778-6073 to speak to a health coach
who specializes in condition management
Condition management
Monday - Friday:
7 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Saturday:
8 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Topics include:
•Low back pain
•Diabetes
•Heart problems
•High blood pressure
•High cholesterol
•Asthma
•COPD
•Cancer
•Depression
•Behavioral health
… and many more
LifeSolutions can provide support for life’s everyday challenges
- at home and work - and connect you to resources.
LifeSolutions
Call 1-800-647-3327 Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
to schedule an appointment with a LifeSolutions counselor
Services are free and confidential.
Day and evening appointments are available.
• Counseling sessions
• 24/7 telephone support
• WorkLife services
Have a wonderful stress-
free Holiday this season
“Stress" Def. 1D. Merriam Webster Online, Merriam Webster.
Miller, Lyle H. and Smith, Alma Dell. “Stress: The Different Kinds of Stress.“ APA. "Stress: Coping with
Everyday Problems." Mental Health America.
" Good Stress, Bad Stress." Stanford Medicine Newsletter. Stanford University School of Medicine, 2012.
Anderson, Mike. "The Importance of Managing Stress." Well-Balanced Teacher. ASCD. Sept. 2010.
Robinson, Lawrence, Melinda Smith, and Robert Segal. "Stress Management." Help Guide. Oct. 2015.
Goldberg, Joseph. "Exercise and Depression." WebMD. 19 Feb. 2014.
"Holiday Stress." American Psychological Association. 1 Dec. 2006.
Asp, Karen. "9 Healthy Holiday Eating Strategies." Real Simple.
"How to Sneak in Holiday Exercise." Readers Digest. Trusted Media Brands, Inc.
Stapen, Candyce. "Tips for Stress-free Family Holiday Travel." USA Today. Gannett, 25 Nov. 2013.