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	<title>Holiday stress</title>
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		<title>Holiday Stress: 6 Ways to Ease A Stressful Time of Year</title>
		<link>https://www.humintell.com/2019/12/6-ways-to-ease-holiday-stress/</link>
					<comments>https://www.humintell.com/2019/12/6-ways-to-ease-holiday-stress/#respond</comments>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Humintell Admin]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Thu, 12 Dec 2019 14:35:48 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Emotion]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[ease holiday stress]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Holiday stress]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.humintell.com/?p=35894</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[<p>Does thinking about the holidays stress you out? You&#8217;re not alone. Fortunately, the University of Florida has come up with this list of 6 things you can do to mitigate stressors and make the holidays a fun and relaxing time. 1. Plan ahead as a group. Stressful arguments and hurt feelings about where, when and&#8230;</p>
The post <a href="https://www.humintell.com/2019/12/6-ways-to-ease-holiday-stress/">Holiday Stress: 6 Ways to Ease A Stressful Time of Year</a> first appeared on <a href="https://www.humintell.com">Humintell | Master the Art of Reading Body Language</a>.]]></description>
										<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><img fetchpriority="high" decoding="async" class="alignleft wp-image-35007" src="https://www.humintell.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/christmas-2971961_1280-300x200.jpg" alt="6 Ways to Ease Holiday Stress" width="400" height="267" srcset="https://www.humintell.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/christmas-2971961_1280-300x200.jpg 300w, https://www.humintell.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/christmas-2971961_1280-600x400.jpg 600w, https://www.humintell.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/christmas-2971961_1280-768x512.jpg 768w, https://www.humintell.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/christmas-2971961_1280-1024x682.jpg 1024w, https://www.humintell.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/christmas-2971961_1280.jpg 1280w" sizes="(max-width: 400px) 100vw, 400px" />Does thinking about the holidays stress you out? You&#8217;re not alone.</p><p>Fortunately, the University of Florida has come up with this list of 6 things you can do to mitigate stressors and make the holidays a fun and relaxing time.</p>
<p><strong>1. Plan ahead as a group.</strong></p>
<p>Stressful arguments and hurt feelings about where, when and how to spend holiday time can be avoided by planning ahead and including as many people possible in the discussion.</p>
<p><strong>2. Manage expectations.</strong></p>
<p>Keep in mind the goal of the holidays should be to enjoy your time together. Avoid trying to cram in too many activities or make every meal and get together perfect. </p>
<p>In fact, in a <a href="https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1023%2FA%3A1021516410457.pdf"><span class="s1">fascinating study from 2002</span></a>, a pair of researchers asked over a hundred people about their stress and happiness during the holidays, including questions about consumption behavior. They found that <em>family-based</em> or <em>religious celebrations</em> tended to result in the greatest levels of happiness, as opposed to materialist consumption practices.</p>
<p><strong>3. Head off personal conflicts.</strong></p>
<p>Agree to take hot-button issues &#8211; political or otherwise &#8211; off the table. Keep in mind that you can love someone even if you don&#8217;t like their views on a particular topic.</p>
<p><strong>4. If conflicts do arise, stay calm.</strong></p>
<p>If you or other family members get into a fight, do what you can do to keep or regain everyone&#8217;s composure before moving forward. That may mean removing yourself from the situation for a while by going for a walk or engaging in some other soothing activity. When you come back, it will be easier to see one another&#8217;s points of view and come up with creative solutions and compromises.</p>
<p><strong>5. Focus on the positives.</strong></p>
<p>Inevitably, something will go wrong with our holiday plans &#8211; a flight will be delayed, cookies will get burnt, a gift will be out of stock. Don&#8217;t let these hiccups overshadow the positive aspects of the holidays, such as spending quality time with family and friends.</p>
<p>In fact, according to <a href="http://emmons.faculty.ucdavis.edu/publications/">Dr. Robert Emmons</a>, who studies the emotion of gratitude, cultivating this feeling can promote healthy relationships and psychological, or even physical, health. <a href="http://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/why_gratitude_is_good">He praises the notion of gratitude</a> as a “relationship-strengthening emotion,” explaining how it helps connect individuals and affirm our support for each other. Dr. Emmons’ research has shown that the regular expression of gratitude reduces feelings of social isolation and promotes forgiveness, generosity, and compassion.</p>
<p><strong>6. Remember to take care of yourself.</strong></p>
<p>It&#8217;s easy to let healthy habits slide during the holidays, indulging in more than usual, staying up later or dropping our exercise routines. However, taking care of your physical and mental health can be an antidote to holiday strain.</p>
<p></p>The post <a href="https://www.humintell.com/2019/12/6-ways-to-ease-holiday-stress/">Holiday Stress: 6 Ways to Ease A Stressful Time of Year</a> first appeared on <a href="https://www.humintell.com">Humintell | Master the Art of Reading Body Language</a>.]]></content:encoded>
					
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		<title>Staying Jolly for the Holidays</title>
		<link>https://www.humintell.com/2016/12/staying-jolly-for-the-holidays/</link>
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		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Humintell Admin]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Tue, 20 Dec 2016 18:09:32 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Emotion]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Science]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Holiday stress]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[managing stress]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[meditation]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[mindfulness]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.humintell.com/?p=33749</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[<p>The Christmas season is certainly a happy time for many people, but it’s often hectic nature can cause a great deal of stress. Thankfully, there are easy ways to manage this stress without distracting from the necessary shopping, cooking, and family time. The psychologist, Dr. Tara Brach, claims that this is a perfect time to&#8230;</p>
The post <a href="https://www.humintell.com/2016/12/staying-jolly-for-the-holidays/">Staying Jolly for the Holidays</a> first appeared on <a href="https://www.humintell.com">Humintell | Master the Art of Reading Body Language</a>.]]></description>
										<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><img decoding="async" class="alignleft wp-image-33753 " src="https://www.humintell.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/christmas-1909456_1280-1024x470.jpg" alt="christmas-1909456_1280" width="409" height="188" srcset="https://www.humintell.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/christmas-1909456_1280-1024x470.jpg 1024w, https://www.humintell.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/christmas-1909456_1280-600x276.jpg 600w, https://www.humintell.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/christmas-1909456_1280-300x138.jpg 300w, https://www.humintell.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/christmas-1909456_1280-768x353.jpg 768w, https://www.humintell.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/christmas-1909456_1280.jpg 1280w" sizes="(max-width: 409px) 100vw, 409px" />The Christmas season is certainly a happy time for many people, but it’s often hectic nature can cause a great deal of stress.</p>
<p>Thankfully, there are easy ways to manage this stress without distracting from the necessary shopping, cooking, and family time. The psychologist, Dr. Tara Brach, <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/wellness/the-stress-of-the-holidays--and-2016--may-make-this-the-perfect-time-to-try-meditation/2016/12/02/fb4f0cc6-b5a8-11e6-959c-172c82123976_story.html?utm_term=.330b5bac0b38">claims that this is a perfect time</a> to see how meditation can help relieve stress and boost overall happiness.</p>
<p>Meditation, Dr. Brach contends, promotes the idea of mindfulness, encouraging us to simply sit in the present moment. This helps stop our mind from dwelling on past interactions or from stressing about future events. This allows us to relax and regain a level of focus and perspective.</p>
<p>If you are experiencing holiday stress, you are not alone. <a href="https://www.apa.org/helpcenter/holiday-season.aspx">The American Psychological Association</a> offers a few recommendations to help you relax. They encourage each of you to “take time for yourself” and “be mindful and focus on the present,” connecting to the idea of meditation.</p>
<p>Many readers may instantly roll their eyes and dismiss these notions of mindfulness and meditation as fully of trendy, New Age buzzwords, but Dr. Brach points to the <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24485481">scientific evidence</a> for an actual neurological effect from meditation. This research suggests that meditation can have a positive effect on the emotional sectors of your brain.</p>
<p>This is just one example of the evidence showing that mediation has a beneficial impact on your brain. A <a href="http://www.pnas.org/content/108/50/20254.short">2011 study at Yale University</a> found that meditation helps prevent the mind from wandering, promoting happiness by maintaining mindfulness. Similarly, <a href="http://www.forbes.com/sites/alicegwalton/2015/02/09/7-ways-meditation-can-actually-change-the-brain/#2341580b7023">numerous studies</a> have shown that meditation can reduce depression, anxiety, and even help treat addiction.</p>
<p>The practice of meditation may call to mind a multiple hour Zen retreat or stories of practitioners sitting for days on end, but that sort of time commitment is unreasonable for beginners, especially beginners overwhelmed by the Holiday season! Instead, Dr. Brach explains that meditation does not have to take longer than a few minutes.</p>
<p>Even devoting just a couple minutes can be enough to help you relax. If you do not have the physical space to sit in peace, taking deep breathes and focusing on the feeling of those breathes can help you realize benefits even amidst the hustle and bustle of holiday preparation.</p>
<p>Finally, it is important to remember that the holiday season is not a happy time for everyone, and the <a href="http://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/stress-management/in-depth/stress/art-20047544?pg=1">Mayo Clinic has released</a> some tips for dealing with this phenomenon. Remember to reach out to others and acknowledge that it is acceptable, and common, to feel stressed and depressed around this time.</p>
<p>For more information on mindfulness and meditation, see our past blogs <a href="https://www.humintell.com/2012/10/emotions-meditation/">here</a> and <a href="https://www.humintell.com/2016/03/just-breathe-the-connection-between-exercise-and-emotional-competence/">here</a>.</p>The post <a href="https://www.humintell.com/2016/12/staying-jolly-for-the-holidays/">Staying Jolly for the Holidays</a> first appeared on <a href="https://www.humintell.com">Humintell | Master the Art of Reading Body Language</a>.]]></content:encoded>
					
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