Your Holiday Stress Guide

 Every year, Christmas carols promise joy and magic. But for many people, they're just soundtracks to the silent screams of stress. Today, we're turning those festive tunes into a real survival guide to take you from bah humbug to fa la la la la la la la la.
And it's gonna be fun.
I'm Dr.Vickie Petz Kasper. I'll give you practical steps to start your own journey toward better health because healthy looks great on you.
Have yourself a merry little Christmas. You may be thinking, yeah right. There's shopping, and eating, and staying up late, and people. People. Though connection is crucial, some people clearly belong on Santa's naughty list. And they get seated right next to you at the dinner party.
Today, I'm going to give you a survival guide that will help you have a holly jolly Christmas this year. Because, even when you're singing Joy to the World, all that rockin around the Christmas tree can turn into a big crash. And I'm not talking about Grandma getting run over by a reindeer. You know, that song is pretty disturbing if you think about it.
And while you might not be worried about a collision with a four legged beast with antlers, you probably can make a list of things that bring stress instead of comfort and joy. Let's start with those weeks leading up to the holidays. I started decorating the day after Thanksgiving singing to myself, It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas.
When I put it back in the attic, I'll sing, It's beginning to look a knot like Christmas. I know, I know, my kids would say, I just set off the corn o meter. Ding, ding, ding, ding. But let's face it, decorating and planning sets us up for festive fatigue right at the outset of the season.
Yes, of course, it's the most wonderful time of the year and How's that working to set unrealistic expectations? What happens if the illusion of everyone else having a blast only magnifies what you're really feeling? It's a setup for disappointment. Like a kid who asked for a trampoline and got a history book for Christmas.
And speaking of Santa Claus coming to town, there's some pressure. Gotta be good, or you'll get a lump of coal in your stocking. Do you hear what I hear? Sometimes we hear sleigh bells ring ring ringing and jing jing jinging, but sometimes we hear snippy comments and conflict, all because I'll be home for Christmas.
Which may involve travel, and frankly, being around people you don't particularly like. Being pulled in so many directions you feel like a gingerbread man about to break apart. If you missed the episode on navigating connections during the holidays, I really want you to meet my fictional Aunt Edna. She's a hoot.
Now, if you're like me, this year we've been dashing through the snow. Actually, it's been so warm we've rarely even worn a coat, and we don't have a one horse open sleigh, but we do have a golf cart. But literally, my social calendar has been as full as Santa's pack when he leaves the workshop.
I'm an extrovert, so I love it. But, as a result, my sleep is off, I've gained three pounds from eating Christmas crack, and no, I am not going to share that recipe, and it's not a whole food, and it's not plant based, and Jingle Bell Rock, it needs to happen at the gym, but honestly, I feel like I need to sleep in.
This month is halfway over and there are only a few days left to finish my shopping. And silver bells sound like, Cha ching! Cha ching! Whether you're braving crowds or surfing the internet to find the perfect gift for all the people in your family.
Your credit card is asking for at least one silent night. And maybe you're dreaming of a white Christmas, longing for days gone by when your stocking was full of walnuts and oranges. Things were simpler then. Nostalgia is sweet, but let's face it, our minds tend to idealize the past and sometimes what we really need to do is let go and embrace the present.
And speaking of presents, whether all you want for Christmas is your two front teeth or peace on earth, managing holiday stress is important. Now, you've already been to mini medical school and you know that stress causes increased cortisol levels, compromises your immune system, causes upset stomach, and disrupts your sleep. And that's just the physical stuff.
Anxiety and depression symptoms increase, and the Polar Express brings emotional exhaustion with brain fog pumping out the smokestack. If you missed the class on how stress increases your risk for cardiovascular disease and pretty much everything that you wouldn't wish for, there's a link in the show notes.
But if you're navigating complex family relationships, trying to avoid conflict and triggers, or Feeling social pressure to attend all the parties, or if you're feeling left out by all the perfect celebrations on social media, or you have FOMO and you always say yes, plus you have to get up and go to work the next day, or if you're feeling the financial strain of too m...