While the holiday season is typically a wonderful time of year, holidays can also be a stressful time when you have to cope with:

• Shopping
• Parties and other social commitments
• Family responsibilities
• Visitors in your home (or being a visitor in someone else’s home)

Especially during the holidays, you may not even know you’re overly stressed because you’re keeping yourself “too busy to think.” So what are the signs of stress to look out for?

• Difficulty sleeping
• Constant feeling of urgency
• Lack of satisfaction with your activities and tasks
• Physical discomfort, such as headaches, backaches, and stomach aches

Managing your stress is fundamental to living a healthy life. Because if you don’t manage your stress, it can affect your blood pressure, your weight, and also increase your risk for heart disease. So take some time during this holiday season to practice some stress management tips:

• Perform relaxation techniques, such as those listed in Concentra’s Stress Management flyer (see link below)
• Prioritize your time, set limits on your time, and remember to include leisure time for yourself
• If you have a large to-do list, break it into smaller tasks that you can more easily accomplish over time
• Ask for help when you feel overloaded
• Find humor wherever you can because laughter relieves stress

For more information about stress management, see your health care provider and review a copy of Concentra’s Stress Management flyer.