Stressed Over the Holidays? Try to Relax

I must admit, I have gotten a bit caught up in the Holiday rush lately.  This is the cause for the negligence of this blog over the past week.  Having to celebrate three birthdays well within a week of Christmas only proliferates the stress this wonderful time of year brings.  Worrying over gift ideas, going to birthday parties, and all the activities on Christmas Eve & Day itself can be enough stress on a person for the year!  And if any of you are fighting off a cold or stomach bug, that only adds to the mounds of stress your body has to deal with during the “most wonderful time of the year”.

Don’t get me wrong, I love the Christmas season.  It’s a wonderful time to spend with family and friends. (That is, if you have friends and/or enjoy being with your family.) But for those of you out there who mysteriously always seem to develop a bug over the Holidays, stress may be playing a larger role in why you have been hit with the bug than the bug itself.

This may sound a little confusing, but let me explain. Your body has the option of being in two modes: a sympathetic state that triggers our bodies to be in a “fight-or-flight” state, or a parasympathetic state that is a state of healing and homeostasis.  When stressors cause our bodies to be in this fight-or-flight state, our bodies think there is a threat (the stressors) to our well being and tries to summon all the energy possible (i.e. glucose) our body has stored in various forms.  When the body thinks there is a threat because of this stress, it actually shuts down certain systems of the body (i.e. immune system, digestive system) to save energy, and puts a greater emphasis on systems that will help us either fight the threat or flee from the threat (i.e. your muscles).

Unfortunately, stress cannot be differentiated by the body, meaning, the body reacts to any and all stressors the same way; through this fight-or-flight reaction.  For example, when a student stresses over his upcoming finals, the body interprets this stress in the same way as if the student was being chased by a pack of wolves.

As you may see, this can be a particularly alarming situation for the majority of people who have terrible stress management (I’m speaking about myself here ).  Today, life seems to be full of stress that puts our bodies into this fight-or-flight mode, and thus, puts a tremendous strain on our bodies.  There can be so much stress throughout our daily lives that our bodies may never actually be able to be in that wonderful parasympathetic state that promotes the healing of our bodies, as well as good digestion and a strong immune system (which is particularly important for healing, too).

This is why it is so important to rest when you are sick, have an injury, or have had surgery.  If you try to power your way through or cut your rest time short, and you live a lifestyle somewhat on par with the average American lifestyle (i.e. lots of stress), your body is not only burdened by the stress of the illness/injury/surgery, but is also burdened by all that wonderful stress you encounter throughout the day. (Not to mention, your body won’t be in a state that is optimal for healing resulting in longer recovery.)

As we approach Christmas, and all the stresses/pleasures it can offer, I hope that you will find the time to relax.  Sit around the fire with your loved ones while sipping a cup of green tea (helps relax your body).  Or, if you don’t particularly enjoy the company of your family, ditch’em and watch a movie/read a book by yourself (along with the green tea of course).

Merry Christmas

E.M.R