Press Releases: Georgia
November 20, 2002
Coping with holiday stress
ATLANTA, Ga. – The holidays can be a wonderful time of peace, love and happiness but they can also lead to extra stress. Howard Gould, MD, chief of Behavioral Health for Kaiser Permanente of Georgia, says the pressure of preparing for holiday gatherings or even the thought of spending time alone can be a source for the holiday blues.
"Although for most the family gatherings for the the holidays are wonderful, for some people family interactions may cause major stress," Dr. Gould said. "Don't set unrealistic expectations hoping family members will act differently than how they always have been."
Dr. Gould suggests communicating in advance with family members to set the stage and ground rules for the visit, such as "Let's agree not to talk about x, y, or z so we can have a nice holiday."
Holiday time can also be a time when family members mourn the loss of significant others. "It is important to acknowledge these loss and talk through the grief, including sharing fond memories," said Dr. Gould.
Dr. Gould offers these additional tips for making the most of the holiday season:
- Don't worry about things that are out of your control
- Shopping and gift giving can be stressful. Plan ahead, make a budget, organize and structure time to shop so that you don't wait until the last minute.
- Don't try to set unrealistic goals of having a perfect holiday season; be flexible.
- Allow yourself to enjoy the season and do not linger on negative past events.
- Volunteer to help others and enjoy the true holiday spirit.
- Make time for yourself and take care of your body.
- Exercise and eat right.
- Avoid excessive alcohol.
- Take it easy on caffeine.
- Get plenty of rest.
If you would like to speak to Dr. Gould about holiday stress, please contact Matthew Grund at (404) 364-7074.
Kaiser Permanente is the state of Georgia's largest nonprofit health plan, serving the health care needs of Atlanta metro area residents for 22 years. Kaiser Foundation Health Plan of Georgia, Inc. currently provides comprehensive health care services to approximately 275,000 members through 15 medical facilities in a 28-county service, and a network of affiliated hospitals and physicians. The Health Plan provided more than $5 million in community benefit programs and services.
