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15 ways to reduce your stress now through the holidays
Published: 11/1/2012 8:00 AM
Last Modified: 10/30/2012 5:57 PM


Yes, that's the irrepressible Melanie Fry expressing holiday frustration for a story back in November 1995.

Sometimes, often without knowing it, I write a story in the Tulsa World because it's something I want to learn for myself.

Such was totally the case in Thursday's Scene section regarding my article on coping with holiday stress, for which local mental-health experts -- including a slew of licensed professional counselors at Parkside Psychiatric Hospital & Clinic -- graciously offered advice.

As I regretfully didn't have room to share all of the tips from Parkside, I wanted to share them here in my blog. I hope they help you as much as they're already helping me with my holiday planning.

Monitor your internal "have-to" messages surrounding the holidays. Maybe you don't have to do everything you think you have to. -- Pat Harter

Continue doing the things that help you relax. If you enjoy going to the gym, for example, keep that as a priority in your schedule. -- Amanda Spriggs

Meditation is an excellent stress reliever, and numerous studies have demonstrated its many positive effects on both our minds and our bodies. There are numerous types of meditation. Find one you enjoy, and begin your practice prior to the holidays. -- Debra Moore

Remember to do everything in moderation, and not to the extreme. Don't expect more of yourself than you can possibly give. -- Susan Vaughan

Identify potential problems, fears or people that might cause you stress, and develop a plan for responding to each. Doing so will help you respond to them in ways that will allow you to feel good about yourself and better ensure you have a happy holiday season. -- Leanne Moore

Hug a friend or loved one. Hugging can help us deal with stress by lowering our blood pressure and decreasing our level of cortisol, a hormone frequently referred to as the stress hormone. -- Debra Moore

If you customarily don't help much with holiday preparations, choose this year to help reduce your loved one's stress by helping more. You will likely find they will have a more enjoyable holiday and so will you. -- Bill Cleary

Develop a new family tradition to bring added meaning to the holidays. Traditions help bond families together through generations. -- Verletta Russell

If a family member or other loved one has died, and this will be your first holiday without them, embrace talking about them and sharing stories with one another. Someone will likely share a story you have never heard before. The process of sharing memories is a precious gift. -- Debra Moore

If you are visiting your friends or family and taking your pet, be sure to take a kennel and any other needed items to help ensure your pet, as well as you, will be welcomed back. -- Patty Pierce

Acknowledging sadness, especially associated with loss, is normal. Don't judge yourself harshly if you find yourself feeling sad during the holidays. Instead, be compassionate to yourself. -- Fred Welch

Consider doing something as a family or individual that gives to others. Activities could include delivering meals, putting together baskets of food for needy families, taking a name from the Angel Tree or using money that would normally be spent on gifts and giving it to a charitable organization such as World Vision, the Heifer Project International or World Compassion. -- Rita Carbuhn

Have structured activities, such as games, available to help entertain children. -- Debra Beasley

Avoid discussing politics, sports, religion or any topic you know will upset the people around you. -- Debra Beasley

Identify the earliest signs your body sends you to let you know you are starting to feel upset or anxious. If you find yourself experiencing them, consider whether or not your breathing has become shallower. If it has, take a few minutes for yourself and focus on breathing more fully. A technique known as "bumblebee breath" can help calm you quickly. Whistling and humming can also help serve the same purpose. -- Debra Moore

Peace, love and less stressful holidays ... XOXO


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Living Wright

While other kids were watching "The Smurfs," Scene Writer Jason Ashley Wright was tuned in to "Style with Elsa Klensch." By fourth grade, he knew he wanted to write, and spent almost three years publishing a weekly teen-oriented magazine, Teen-Zine -- circulation: 2. After earning a degree in journalism from the University of Southern Mississippi, he became the medical reporter and teen board coordinator for the Hattiesburg (Miss.) American, a Gannett newspaper. Eight months later, with visions of Elsa dancing in his head, he applied for the fashion writer position at the Tulsa World, where he began working on Aug. 3, 1998. He is now a general assignment reporter for Scene.

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