By CKPG Today

TYH: Beating the Holiday Blues

Dec 27, 2017 | 6:59 PM

The holidays are a busy time, connecting with family and friends. Sometimes, the busy times can get overwhelming and it can translate into anxiety and isolation. On today’s To Your Health, Catherine Hansen has more on how beat the holiday blues.

(Announcer:)
And now, “To Your Health”. Brought to you by Hart Drugs, Third Avenue Pharmacy and the Phoenix Pharmacy.

(Catherine Hansen – Reporter:)
From trimming the tree, to cooking turkey dinner, to get-togethers with family and friends, the holidays are a busy time. Social gatherings, travel arrangements, meal preparation and gift-giving are just a few of the expectations that can cause stress.

(Dayna Hansen – Wellness Coach:)
“But I think also holidays are just a time of memories for people, and so sometimes if they are missing loved ones or they’ve made big changes in their lives, holidays are kind of a time when people look back on that. So it’s a really introspective time and that can be the cause of a little bit more stress than usual for people.”

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(Catherine Hansen – Reporter:)
Often, anxious thoughts or feelings can lead to isolation. Making an effort to connect with others, along with some self-care can help.

(Dayna Hansen – Wellness Coach:)
“A lot of times, when people are feeling down or stressed out, they start to isolate and withdraw from the people that they’re close to. So just making sure that they stay connected, and also just engaging in basic acts of self-care, can really be helpful for people as well. Because a lot of times when people aren’t feeling that great, they start to not take care of themselves as much.”

(Catherine Hansen – Reporter:)
While the social schedule can be overwhelming, don’t be afraid to decline invitations. Do take the time to spend small amounts of time with those who you really care about.

(Dayna Hansen – Wellness Coach:)
“I recommend that they definitely make plans. It can even be really small things, like meeting up with a friend even once a week, if more than that would be too overwhelming for them. Just finding small pockets of time where they could work in that self-care, in a way that works for them that isn’t too overwhelming.”

(Catherine Hansen – Reporter:)
Paying attention to sleep and diet, lowering personal expectations and trying to stick to a regular routine as much as possible, can be helpful. To your health, Catherine Hansen, CKPG News.