corp-iu-news-awareness-12.21.21

Are you dealing with holiday stress?The gift frenzy, the out-of-town family visits, the hectic schedule...This time of year offers a golden opportunity for everyone to slow down, savor time with family, honor traditions, and take a break.But for so many of us, it can wind up being the most stressful time of year!  Contrary to popular belief, the holidays are not in and of themselves stressful – although most of us perceive them to be.The complicated circumstances of life do not create stress; stress results from your response to them.Essentially, stress comes from wishing something were different, worrying you can’t change it, and feeling stuck. Helplessness, frustration, and inaction result.The holiday hustle only exacerbates the symptoms.But imagine if stress was a tool you could use to work for you, rather than against you.Here’s how you can use our tools to beat your holiday stress this year: 1. Stress is a Gift We tend to perceive stress as a negative thing, but it doesn’t have to be. Oftentimes, stress is just a natural outcome of an increased desire for a better life.Stressing about a gift budget tells you that you want a better handle on your finances. Dreading dinner with your in-laws is a good indicator that you wish you had a better relationship with them. Stress symptoms can actually serve as an invaluable ally, an informing voice that tells us it’s time to do something.The longer we try to ignore the voice, the louder and more persistent it gets.Listen to it, and learn to accept it as a positive force and motivator. Since the stress of the holiday season is so acute, it can act as a kind of wake-up call, or feedback from a good friend.Call it a “holiday gift.”It’s crucial to investigate the nature of your particular stresses...

Love,Beth Handel

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