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Seasonal Stress Relievers
How to Relax and Enjoy the Holidays With Your Partner By Carma Haley Shoemaker
According to Gross, holidays are among the top stressors because of all the changes in normal routine. Often, excess levels of stress are unnoticed because of busy schedules around the holidays, but there are several indicators that the stress level you or your partner is experiencing is bordering on dangerous. The major indicators include:
- The inability to concentrate
- Irritability and/or anxiety
- Trouble sleeping
- Decreased appetite
- Being "snappy" and "short" with your partner and/or family
- Feelings of sadness, loneliness or unexplained anger
"Most commonly the things that cause us the most stress are the things we care about the most, but have the least control over," says Gross. "Our families, upcoming events, bills, the economy, the way people respond and our interaction with our families – including our children – are major stressors that we wish we could control, but often cannot. We need to learn to let go, just a little, and learn to depend on our partner to help us through, especially during times of high stress such as the holiday season."
"Spend time with people you love," she says. "You need to balance the time you spend with people 'you have to be around' and those you want to be with. Stress can lessen when you have a place to go, someone to talk to and someone to lean on. And let's not forget about the very-much-needed alone time with your partner. It can make all the difference."
Schmidt says she and her husband de-stress during the week after Christmas, when her daughter spends a day or two with her parents. "We stock up on movies, go grocery shopping just for that day and pick our favorite munchies," she says. "We make it festive and fancy by making up food as if we were having a cocktail party. But it is just for us. We use the good china and crystal, get a bottle of bubbly and then we don't answer the phone and just spend the time together."