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Joy and Jolly: Making Your Holiday Less Stressful 

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Joy and Jolly: Making Your Holiday Less Stressful 

Rachel Garlinghouse 

Dec 17, 2009 

 

'Tis the season to be jolly? The most wonderful time of the year? Joy to the
world? Between Black Friday, meal preparations, decorating, dealing with
clashing

family members, and party after party, the holiday season can be one of the
most stressful times of the year. The joy and jolly that we sing about in
Christmas

carols hardly resonates in our lives as we prepare for and then attempt to
survive the stress of the holidays.

 

According to my dietitian and diabetes educator Michelle Preston, stress can
lead to unstable 

blood sugars

. This roller coaster of poor blood sugar control leads to negative
consequences: physical, emotional, and mental. Though we may not be able to
completely

avoid the stress that comes with the holiday festivities, people with
diabetes can use practical techniques to deal with whatever comes their way,
whether

that be another nosy question about your love life from Aunt Cindy, the
holiday party that offers nothing but 

carbohydrate

-laden 

desserts

 and drinks, or the disruption of your usual workout routine.

 

Be aware.  Awareness, according to yoga instructor Charity Lamprecht, is
key. She says, "I think so many of us are striving for the 'picture-perfect
Christmas'---the

Christmas Martha Stewart creates, the one you remembered as a child, and/or
the one you create in your imagination. To add to all of this, there is the

added anxiety of trying to resist certain foods and the prospect of New
Year's resolutions. No wonder we are stressed!" To combat this, Charity
suggests,

you should take time to note where you are feeling the stress, what that
stress is doing to your blood sugars, and how that is affecting your
physical

and emotional wellbeing. Brandy Barnes, a person with 

type 1 diabetes

 and the founder of the website Diabetes Sisters (

www.DiabetesSisters.org

), states, "Stress is silent, but powerful-- just like diabetes.  We can
ignore it, but that only makes things worse."

 

Make a list, check it twice, and then breathe.   Once you take the time to
become aware of what is stressing you, decisions have to be made.  Brandy
suggests

making a list of your stresses in order to put a name to a particular
situation, and then marking those situations off the list as they are
resolved. 

Charity suggests something we often take for granted---breathing. "Breathing
deep into your belly triggers your parasympathetic nervous system---the
system

that 'rests and digests.' Focusing on your breath helps you to have a stable
center while chaos happens around you."  For me, finding a quiet place,
whether

that be my bedroom, my home office, or my car, helps me create an
environment of focus and relaxation. 

 

Be prepared.  Brandy has faced, as many of us do, the stress of the
ever-present "food police," those who think they understand diabetes (it
means you can't

have sugar, right?) and take it upon themselves to challenge your food
choices.  Brandy states, "By handling our holiday stress with grace, we keep
our

own health in check, serve as a positive role model for children, and change
the negative stereotype that exists about people with diabetes."   By
planning

out a response in advance, you can reply in a manner that impacts those
around you in a positive way and you aren't left embarrassed, ashamed, and
thus,

even more stressed.   I prefer to respond in a way that is simple and clear:
"Actually, I can eat foods that contain sugar.  I do this by checking my

blood sugar first, calculating the number of carbohydrates in the food, and
then taking enough 

insulin

 to keep my blood sugar stable."  

 

Choose a good attitude.  My mother taught me an important lesson:  I am in
charge of myself.  Circumstances won't always be ideal, but I can choose to
do

the right thing.   Charity suggests that people with chronic diseases like
diabetes do the following:  "Make the best choices you can make for yourself

right now, today. Don't wait. You are worth every healthy sacrifice you
make, and your loved ones are worth it too."   Not only will your positive
attitude

and good choices help you feel physically good (and ready to celebrate!),
but you will also be setting an example for those who are around you and
watching

you.  

 

Ask for help, and make changes if it helps you.  If you are hosting a
holiday celebration, it's easy to get caught up in the details, get
stressed, and

forget to enjoy your guests.   Think outside the box.  Host a holiday
potluck and assign dishes, for example, so that you do not have to do all
the cooking.  

Start a new tradition that gets everyone involved and gives you a break. Do
not be afraid to completely break away from old traditions.  Order pizza,
draw

names rather than buy for each person, or volunteer as a family instead of
staying indoors.  

 

Schedule a break.  Just like when you write a party in your calendar,
schedule a few hours or even a few days when you can have some time to
yourself.  

Putting yourself and your needs aside is a slippery slope that will lead to
poor blood sugar control and stress.   Do something you enjoy, like watching

an old movie, cooking a new 

recipe

, or reading a book.  The simple joy of being alone will give you the energy
boost you need to take on your next holiday project with a good attitude.

 

Stick to your routine (as much as possible).   My blood sugar control
thrives on my routine:  healthy meals and snacks, a workout, and frequent
blood sugar

checks.  When this routine is disrupted, my body can suffer physically for
hours and even days.   I make sure that the hotels where we stay when
traveling

have a gym and a (healthy) continental breakfast.  I verify that the gym's
equipment is in working order before I make a reservation.  Even though I
would

like to abandon my diabetes for a few days, I know that sticking to my
routine will pay off. 

 

Boost your mood.  Getting enough 

vitamin

 D is crucial in the darker, colder winter months.  Vitamin D helps keep 

depression

 at bay.  It can be gained through moderate sun exposure or through a 

supplement.   

Exercise

 also boosts the feel-good hormones, endorphins, in your body.  Foods like
dark chocolate and berries contain anti-oxidants that promote health.
Another

option is to put on a favorite CD, which can be both soothing and familiar.


 

Although no one choice will magically alleviate your holiday stress, the
accumulation of good choices will result in a happier holiday and a
healthier you. 

 

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