Gift Guic e

Holiday Stress
Survival Tips for 2001

These holidays will be different. Improve your quality of life and
enhance performance through this season of uncertainty.

By L. John Mason, Ph.D

This is a unique time
in our history. People
do not know exactly
how to respond to
the tragedies of
September 11th. Our
world is a different
place now. Attitudes
toward travel, being
with family, celebra-
tion in the face of fear
and sadness, will make this
year's holiday season different from
years past. Our adjustments will help
to create new ways of participating in
the holiday events. These can be both
positive and negative. Consider new
traditions in self-care and for corn-

1. Schedule Time for Self-Care!
Regular exercise and time for
stress management. are a -must.
Find what techniques work best-
for you, and use these tools.
This is non-negotiable time
devoted to your health and well-
being.

2. Eat Well

Moderation is the key. Do not
use alcohol or drugs for stress
management. Do not "over" cel-
ebrate. Avoid fast foods.

3. Avoid Caffeine
Minimize the impact of caffeine
on your life.

4. .Plan. the Holiday...

Set some limits
Do not over-spend your finan-
cial and emotional resources.

5. Control Your Expectations of
Happiness, joy, Sadness, and
Loneliness.

munity support that will
open your heart to the
joys that are possible in
this season.
Remember the
things that are the
most stressful are the
things that you care
the most about, but
have the least con-
trol over. World
events, the econo-
„,.,;(591
my, the way people
respond, and our fami-
lies (and children) are major
stressors that we wish we could con-
trol, but often can not.

L. John Mason is director of the Stress
Education Center in Cotati, Calif,
www.dstress.com

. 6. Be Nice to Others
Give compliments and smile.
Around negative, anxious or
rude people, take a breath and
remember that you do not need
to get pulled into these other
people's holiday craziness.

7. Reach Out for Support
Talk with "stable" friends or
family, or clergy, or mental
health counselors.

8. Humor Helps... Have Fun
Laugh daily, if possible.

9. Stay in the Present!
Mentally and emotionally; do
not be consumed by things that
happened in the:past or fear
events .in the future..

10. Find the True Spirit
of the Holidays
Share time with those people
who you love or care about. )

these and the other
fine stores on the
B oardwalk

Charterhouse
Barber Shop
Chico's
Dakota Bread
Exelnt Design
Swimwear
Hersh's
N.Y. Bagel
Rear Ends
Richards's Shoes
Ruby's Balm
Running Fit
Solomon & Son
Stage & Co.
Steven Franklin Optics
Strandz
Sundance Shoes
Tressa's
You're Fired

f1;70

•

2001

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