萝莉社

The holiday season can be very stressful and overwhelming for many of reasons: money problems and having to buy gifts, dealing with difficult family members, and having lots of parties and obligations to attend.

Phyliss Taylor, MD, medical director of outpatient services for , does a lot of education on how to cope with stress and shared some advice on how to make the holidays less stressful.

鈥淗ave a realistic, balanced perspective about things. Holidays are busy, and everybody gets stressed out. But you need to have a realistic idea of what鈥檚 going to happen and what鈥檚 not going to happen,鈥� Taylor advised. 鈥淣obody has the perfect holiday, nobody is going to fix the perfect holiday dinner, nobody has the perfect family so you need to do the best you can, and accept the things you can鈥檛 control.鈥�

Another tip Taylor gave was to not do too much. During this time of year, everyone gets a lot of requests to attend parties, make food or attend other events. She encourages people to learn how to say 鈥渘o,鈥� and weigh the pros and cons of each invitation or request. Taylor said to ask yourself four questions:

1. Is this something I really want to do?

2. Is this something I have time to do?

3. Is this something that鈥檚 going to help me feel better?

4. Is this something that鈥檚 really going to stress me out and not contribute to my joy?

鈥淵ou have to make some tough decisions,鈥� Taylor said. 鈥淚f people get upset about it, it鈥檚 okay. They will get over it. You have to set some appropriate limits and boundaries.鈥�

Unfortunately, dealing with difficult family members or friends can also add stress to the season. Taylor suggests limiting the amount of time spent with those people. If you must attend a family event, try to get away by taking a walk. She also recommends setting a specific amount of time to stay and then give a good excuse and leave.

鈥淒on鈥檛 submerge yourself in a negative environment because that鈥檚 not going to help,鈥� Taylor said.

If you suffer from stress, anxiety or depression, Taylor explains that the best thing to do is try to not get out of your routine.

鈥淚f you normally eat well, sleep well, exercise, avoid drugs and alcohol and take care of yourself, you should keep doing those things during the holidays because it will protect you against some of the depression,鈥� she said.

Remember to take time away if you鈥檙e getting overwhelmed during this holiday season. Go find a quiet place, take a walk, listen to music, whatever you need to do to kind of distract yourself and give yourself some time.

If you are experiencing symptoms associated with depression or anxiety, please visit 萝莉社HealthJax.org/psychiatry or call 904-244-0411 to schedule an appointment.