Managing Stress During the Holidays

adrenaline alcohol anxiety ashwagandha blood glucose caffeine chronic inflammation cortisol deep breathing depression endorphins fight-or-flight response glycemic index heart disease herbal supplements high blood pressure hobbies holidays insulin journaling meditation mindfulness mood disorder parasympathetic nervous system potassium refined sugars rhodiola sodium stress stress management sympathetic nervous system tai chi yoga Nov 23, 2024

A woman looks very stressed out while looking at one of the gifts she has to wrap for the Christmas holiday.

The holidays: a time for peace on Earth … and inner turmoil.

A survey by the American Psychological Association (APA) shows that almost 9 out 10 U.S. adults feel stressed during the holidays. Their common concerns include a lack of money, longing for absent loved ones, and family conflict.¹

The same poll reveals that holiday stress hinders 40 percent of Americans from enjoying the season. Plus, 36 percent said they’re pressured to keep up with the Joneses at this time of the year.¹

Although the holidays are meant to be a joyous time, the stress can take a toll on your well-being. High stress levels increase your risk of cardiovascular, digestive, and even mental and emotional problems. Thus, it’s crucial to manage stress that arises during the holidays (or at any other time).^2,3 In this article, we’ll take a look at what stress is and how to manage it:

Your body’s stress response
Identifying your holiday stress triggers
Managing your adrenaline levels
Managing your cortisol levels
Holiday de-stressing through diet

Understanding how your body reacts to stress is the first step. Let’s take a closer look.

Your body’s stress response

Your body has a built-in “fight-or-flight” response to stressful situations. It’s a survival mechanism you inherited from your ancestors, who constantly had to fight off or flee from predators and other threats.⁴

Although there aren’t any saber-tooth tigers chasing us today, we humans still face a lot of daily demands, especially during the holiday season — bills, hectic party schedules, and family responsibilities, just to name a few. Your body perceives these tasks as threats.⁵

In the face of a perceived threat, your brain’s hypothalamus activates your sympathetic nervous system (SNS). Your SNS uses nerve and hormone signals to trigger your adrenal glands to release certain hormones, including adrenaline and cortisol.⁴

Adrenaline makes your heart beat faster, pushing blood to your muscles and other organs. This raises your pulse rate and blood pressure. Your muscle cells under your skin also contract, making you sweat. Adrenaline makes your lung airways dilate too. As a result, you breathe faster and inhale more oxygen. As the extra oxygen gets to your brain, your five senses become sharper. This means you get more alert to your surroundings. Further, adrenaline prompts your body’s storage sites to release glucose (blood sugar) and fats. With these nutrients reaching your bloodstream, your energy level goes up.⁴

All the above effects of adrenaline are short-lived. At most, they last for an hour after the stressful situation is over.⁶

Meanwhile, cortisol drives your liver to release glucose for quick energy. In effect, this “stress hormone” also raises your blood sugar levels. Plus, cortisol regulates your body’s use of fats and proteins as energy sources. Cortisol in short spurts can suppress inflammation too, which lends to a brief boost to your immunity. Elevated cortisol raises your blood pressure as well.⁷

Unlike adrenaline, cortisol stays in your system for hours. This helps you stay ready in case you encounter more stress.⁸

The survival mechanism works best when it’s activated for short periods. Ideally, the stressful situation ends quickly, and your parasympathetic nervous system (PNS) is activated. Your PNS — also called your rest-and-digest system — is the opposite of your SNS. Being in rest-and-digest mode allows your body to repair itself and achieve equilibrium.⁹

But when the stressful situations you’re dealing with are ongoing, your fight-or-flight mode stays on all the time. This long-term activation of your stress response leads to persistently high levels of cortisol. Elevated cortisol for long periods, in turn, can overstimulate your body’s receptors for this hormone, disrupting several body functions.^8,10

For example, elevated cortisol can make your body less sensitive to insulin (a hormone that lowers your blood sugar). Too much cortisol also increases your appetite. This combination promotes fat storage.^11,12

In the long term, elevated cortisol weakens your immune system instead of boosting it. Having high cortisol for long periods also promotes inflammation throughout your body. Systemic inflammation wreaks even more havoc on your health, further raising your risk of chronic diseases.⁷

Consistently high blood pressure due to high cortisol makes you more prone to heart disease and stroke. And over time, excess cortisol disrupts your brain chemistry too. As a result, your risk of anxiety, depression, mood disorders, and mental impairment will be higher.^2,10,14

Identifying your holiday stress triggers

The human fight-or-flight response may be universal, but stress triggers are often personal and unique. So, take a moment to reflect on your own holiday stressors. To identify them, try completing statements such as “I get overwhelmed when …,”, “I think it’s rude to …,” or “I wish people would …”¹⁵

One powerful way of recognizing your sources of stress is journaling. When you write down your problems and frustrations in a journal, they start to untangle in your mind. Journaling allows you to examine your thoughts and feelings more clearly. Through this process, you can identify patterns in your thinking and behavior, such as people or situations that push your buttons. Ultimately, journaling can be a valuable tool to develop deeper self-understanding.¹⁶

Another option is to talk to someone you trust — perhaps a family member or close friend — about what’s upsetting you. They may be able to offer a different perspective on your concerns. This will allow you to assess your situation more objectively, and perhaps brainstorm more effective ways of coping.^17,18

Once you’ve recognized your stressors, be mindful of how your body reacts to them. You might notice your heart racing or your palms sweating during a holiday gathering. Or you may feel jittery at the thought of facing a relative for the holidays. These are common signs of an adrenaline rush.^9,15

If you’ve been stressed for a prolonged period, you may notice symptoms of high cortisol. Examples are high blood sugar, weight gain, hypertension, headaches, fatigue, irritability, and insomnia. By being aware of these signals, you’ll be better equipped to handle stressful situations.¹⁰

Managing your adrenaline levels

In the midst of the holiday frenzy, make time for yourself to help activate your PNS and reduce adrenaline. Deep-breathing exercises, meditation, yoga, or tai chi are just some of the more popular ways of stimulating your PNS. Listening to relaxing music or engaging in a guided imagery exercise can be beneficial too.⁹

Avoid using your phone or computer and watching TV late in the evening. Staying away from bright lights and loud music after dark will help turn on your rest-and-digest mode before bedtime. Dimming the lights will also help your body produce melatonin, a hormone that’s needed for restful sleep.⁹

Managing your cortisol levels

In case you’ve been stressed for some time now, you probably need a cortisol detox. Regular low- or moderate-intensity exercise — for instance, yoga, aerobics, and brisk walking — can help. These activities reduce your cortisol levels over time and can also improve sleep quality.^7,19

Learning to limit your stressful thinking patterns is crucial as well. Practice being present in the moment so you don’t wind up dwelling on your worries. If a holiday situation is stressing you out, find a soothing object in your immediate environment that you can focus on for at least 30 seconds. Observe its color, its size, its shape. This exercise will bring you into the present and help you manage your stress in the moment.^7,20

Engaging in positive self-talk and cultivating gratitude for the good things in your life, will also go a long way. And don’t forget to enjoy yourself! Pursuing your hobbies, joining fun activities, and laughing all suppress cortisol. They also make your brain release endorphins — hormones that naturally boost your mood and relieve pain.¹⁹

Holiday de-stressing through diet

What you eat and don’t eat significantly impacts your stress levels during the holidays and beyond.

Limiting your caffeine and alcohol intake will help with lowering your adrenaline levels and activating your PNS.⁹

You’ll also want to avoid foods and beverages high in refined carbs like cakes, cookies, soft drinks, and fruit juices. By causing blood-sugar spikes, these foods and drinks promote high insulin. In response, your brain will trigger the release of insulin-opposing hormones like cortisol.^21,22,23

Instead, go for foods with a low glycemic index (GI). Low-GI foods help regulate your cortisol levels by raising your blood glucose and insulin levels slowly. Examples of low-GI foods are whole grains; vegetables like broccoli and cauliflower; grass-fed meat, wild-caught fish, and cage-free eggs; certain nuts including almonds and walnuts; and fats and oils such as olive oil, coconut oil, and avocado oil.²⁴

It’s wise for most people to cut down on salt too. Too much sodium increases your body’s stress response. Consider using a potassium supplement. The potassium will help address the imbalance created by packaged and processed foods that are high in sodium. Balancing your salt intake is crucial to protecting you against high blood pressure and other long-term effects of a high-sodium diet.^25,26

Lastly, certain herbal supplements have anti-stress effects. Studies have shown that ashwagandha and rhodiola in particular help lower cortisol.^27,28

Conclusion

It’s vital to manage your holiday stress to avoid developing health problems that can plague you long after the festive season is over.

To effectively manage your stress during the holidays, you’ll first have to understand your body’s innate stress response and identify your personal triggers. Then, you can implement a variety of strategies to control your levels of adrenaline and cortisol — hormones that play a huge role in stressful situations.

And never underestimate the power of your diet. What you eat can make or break the way you handle holiday stress. Unlock the power of your plate — join the Healthy Happy Holidays Workshop now and make this your most balanced and blissful holiday yet!

References

Managing Stress During the Holidays

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