CAES Newswire

 College of Agricultural & Environmental Sciences UGA Cooperative Extension
Menu
Published on 11/30/15

Make lists, eat well and exercise to reduce holiday stress

By Keishon Thomas

Before the jack-o’-lanterns lost their smiles, stores were already advertising sales, stringing up holiday lights, setting up displays and playing seasonal music. There’s a huge buildup to the winter holidays.

The season brings changes for many of us: families are visiting, different foods are consumed, homes take on festive looks and bedtime routines are disrupted.

Holiday to-do lists are long. With goodies to bake, cards to write, packages to buy and wrap, parties to attend and travel plans to make, lists may already be winding down the hall, out the living room window and waving in the breeze.

With so much happening, we have little time left to take care of ourselves, and physical and emotional resources may become depleted. Some stress can provide motivation to be productive, but too much stress can be detrimental to health and enjoyment of the season.

To make this holiday less stressful and more enjoyable, University of Georgia Cooperative Extension offers the following tips:

  • Plan ahead and get organized. Many of us are so busy with our daily lives that we often don't feel as though we have time to plan ahead for the holidays. Taking care of things ahead of time, such as shopping for gifts and completing holiday cards, reduces the workload as the holidays draw nearer.
  • Make lists of what to buy and where to buy them. Create a list of everything that needs to be done and bought, then attach a schedule for the coming weeks to break large tasks into smaller ones.
  • Set a budget for shopping. Avoid stress later by limiting spending now.
  • Set realistic expectations. Rather than expecting your holiday to be "perfect," focus on the real meaning of the season. Spending quality time with loved ones is the ultimate goal.
  • It is OK if the food or decor is not perfect. Focus on the positive moments as much as possible. Take time to think about what events to attend or host and for how long, keeping in mind that, sometimes, less is more.
  • Take care of yourself. This is one of the cornerstones of stress management, and it's especially important at holiday time, for you and for everyone else in the family, especially children. Stress can spill over onto other family members, so it's a kindness to everyone when you take good care of yourself.
  • Making sure we eat healthy foods, exercise, get plenty of rest and relaxation also helps to bolster us and renews our physical and emotional resources.
  • Focus on eating healthier foods, such as vegetables, fruits and lean meats. Ask yourself if you are truly hungry or if you are just eating because food is readily available.
  • Increase your physical activity by walking after meals and taking stairs rather than elevators.
  • Finally, take time for yourself, even if it's only a few minutes while you are lying in bed in the morning.
  • Be in the moment. Remember, every stressful situation, glitch, perceived setback and roadblock has the potential for awesome memories and great stories in the future.

Time management is also key when it comes to reducing stress. To learn more, see UGA Extension Circular 1042, "Time Management: 10 Strategies for Better Time Management."

Keishon Thomas is the University of Georgia Extension family and consumer sciences agent in Bibb County.

Authors:
Keishon Thomas
Experts/Sources:
Keishon Thomas
To help reduce stress over the holidays, University of Georgia Extension experts say make lists and stick to them, just like these wise youngsters. Make lists of what to buy and where to buy those items and create a list of everything that needs to be done. Then attach a schedule for the coming weeks to break large tasks into smaller ones.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipisicing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua.
Download Image
The Arch seen through the columns of the Holmes Hunter Building. (Photo by Dorothy Kozkowski/UGA) CAES News
UGA celebrates winners of 2024 Public Service & Outreach Faculty Awards 04/08/24
Six University of Georgia faculty and staff members are being honored for their commitment to public service and outreach. These honorees have made significant career-spanning contributions to UGA’s public service mission through scholarship, service-learning opportunities for students and campus leadership. All have created a legacy of extraordinary impact through special projects and long-term achievements to propel a better quality of life for the people of Georgia.
03 20 2024 Farm Stress Summit Allisen Penn and panel 048 CAES News
2024 Farm Stress Summit provides mental health resources for Georgia farm communities 03/25/24 Jordan Powers
As Georgia’s No. 1 industry, agriculture pumps billions of dollars into the state’s economy each year. While headlines often highlight Georgia’s commodities — peanuts, blueberries, poultry and more — one aspect of agriculture is often not discussed, the farmers themselves. At the 2024 Farm Stress Summit, held at the Chattahoochee Technical College Jasper campus, a few critical points were woven throughout each of the day’s sessions: The people are the most important part of Georgia’s agricultural industry, and the state needs to come together to help farmers and promote agricultural education and awareness.  
2024 FarmStressSummit Graphic CAES News
Farm Stress Summit to address mental health challenges among Georgia farming communities 03/04/24
The prevalence of mental health challenges experienced by farm families and farming communities in Georgia is staggering. Faced with unfavorable weather, unfriendly economic conditions, labor shortages and more, farmers of all types often cope with the pressures of their profession in unhealthy ways, including considering suicide. On March 20, UGA faculty and farmers, agricultural community members and mental health stakeholders will convene at the 2024 Farm Stress Summit to look for opportunities to support Georgia’s farm families.
Members of the Washington County Health Coalition gather for a meeting in September 2023 CAES News
Georgia counties mark five years of wellness collaboration with UGA Extension 02/19/24 Josie Smith
Three Georgia counties are healthier and happier thanks to five years of collaboration with University of Georgia Cooperative Extension to expand access to health and wellness programming through the Well Connected Communities initiative. The program awarded grants in 2018 to Washington, Colquitt, and Calhoun counties to establish programming for residents through collaboration with local schools, organizations, government entities, youth and adults over the five-year grant period.
Iteago Felton with the animals at his family's farm, 3T Farms in Lincolnton, Georgia. CAES News
Farm Again program helps veterans reconnect with the land 02/13/24 Carlisa Johnson
For many veterans, returning to civilian life is a stark shift from their fast-paced and service-based military life. When you combine this with the more than 4.7 million veterans who have service-based disabilities, the challenges of re-entry compound. The University of Georgia is working to assist Georgia’s veterans with this transition through its dynamic farming program, Farm Again.
As drug overdoses linked to opioids continue to rise, rural communities in particular struggle to control the epidemic. CAES News
Extension project focuses on education, outreach to address opioid crisis 11/27/23 Cal Powell
As drug overdoses linked to opioids continue to rise, rural communities in particular struggle to control the epidemic. More than 75% of the nearly 107,000 drug overdose deaths in 2021 involved an opioid, with higher rates of poverty and a lack of resources in rural areas being a significant factor in the alarming trend. University of Georgia Cooperative Extension is working with rural communities to address the issue, thanks in part to a three-year $350,000 Rural Health and Safety Education grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture.