(December 1, 2008)  Instead of child-like excitement, do you find yourself greeting the holiday season with a nagging sense of dread? Perhaps it’s time for a little stress management.

“Holidays can be a time of tremendous stress,” Robin Luellen, LCSW said “Holiday stress and overindulgence help explain the soaring rate of fatal heart attacks in December and January. Most people have too many commitments on their time and wind up feeling pulled in multiple directions. It's also easy to overspend, which leads to financial stress. And, the holidays can be a time of tremendous sadness when we miss loved ones who are no longer with us.”

“This year, the economic downturn will add to the holiday stress for many families,” Mrs. Luellen continued. “At a time when money is tight, the children are begging for gifts and parents want to fulfill their child’s Christmas wishes. If you haven’t already had a talk with your older child about the challenging economic times, now may be the time to remind them that Santa is on a budget too. It’s important to set a holiday budget and try to stick to it so the new year doesn’t find you deeper in debt.”

Mrs. Luellen also shared these suggestions:

Trim your gift exchange list.

• Many families put the names of the adults into a drawing and shop for a single adult. This limits spending while allowing everyone to purchase gifts for the children according to their budget constraints.
• Visit with out-of-town relatives about switching to an exchange of newsy cards this year instead of gifts. Or take a break and skip the Christmas cards this year.
• At the office, suggest forgoing the Secret Santa or white elephant gift exchange and consider adopting a needy family for the holidays.

Limit your spending.

• Consider establishing price guidelines for family gift exchanges.
• Shop the internet and local sales to stretch your gift-giving dollars. Many stores are promising great holiday savings in an attempt to lure wary customers back to their stores. (Be cautious on the internet since some sellers will try to unload recalled toys or imported toys that fail to meet US safety standards.)
• Consider giving the kids an IOU that could be redeemed during the after-Christmas mark-downs.

Learn to say no.

• Prioritize your time as well as your finances and say no to parties and obligations that just don’t fit into your busy schedule.
• Create new rituals that fit your life and family, and if that means skipping some gatherings with the extended family, refuse to feel guilty about it. Take part in the activities that bring the joy of the holiday season to you and your family.

Take advantage of the stress-busting benefits of exercise.

• Take a walk on your lunch break or stroll briskly around the mall before you start shopping. You might even spot a sale you didn’t know about.
• Instead of stressing over parking at over-crowded stores, take that distant parking space and squeeze in a brisk walk to and from the store.
• Include the children and family dog in walks. If you can safely do so, hand out flashlights to the kids and brave the early-evening dark for a stroll.
• If you have small children, make it an evening ritual to walk down the block to visit their favorite holiday decorations. Give the characters names or make up stories about them to entertain yourselves as you walk.

Remember the reason for the season.

• Many people find joy in re-focusing their holidays around the spiritual aspects of the holiday season instead of extravagant gift exchanges and banquets.
• If you want to avoid the commercialization of the holidays, consider creating some new family traditions such as attendance at a Christmas Eve church service.

“Each year poses unique challenges in terms of holiday stress,” Robin Luellen, LCSW concluded. “This year, the economy is putting a damper on many holiday travel plans and celebrations. But, in other years, a family situation or the loss of a loved one could be triggering your holiday stress. It’s important to let go of outdated family traditions and unreasonable expectations and focus on what really brings you joy.”