压力最小化，健康最大化可以让假期更快乐

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Between economic struggles, political division and life's everyday pressures, the year has already been stressful enough for many people.

And now, here come the holidays: food and beverage temptations, crowded airports and traffic jams, and family gatherings, which can be great but maybe not always.

"The holidays can be a source of joy and wonder," said Dr. Alan Koenigsberg, 他是私人诊所的精神科医生，也是达拉斯德州大学西南医学院的精神病学志愿临床教授. "But they can also be a source of pain and stress."

Before the holiday season, said Dr. Christopher Bauchman, a clinical psychologist in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, "I like to give people homework exercises, things that they can practice. 所以如果有什么事情突然出现，你会觉得自己准备得更充分."

The implications of stress aren't just psychological. 研究人员已经记录了慢性压力和高血压发病率增加之间的联系, diabetes, obesity and other risk factors for cardiovascular disease. A 2021 study in Hypertension 研究发现，压力荷尔蒙皮质醇水平高的人患心脏病的风险更高, stroke or other cardiovascular event.

Even short-term stress can have health consequences. 观看紧张的世界杯足球赛会使患心脏病的风险增加一倍以上, according to a German study published in the New England Journal of Medicine in 2008.

"It's hard to avoid stress," Koenigsberg said. “但减少压力对整体健康和心血管健康都很重要."

他说，由于几个原因，这在假期可能会更加困难.

"Just traveling is stressful," Koenigsberg said. "Then there's the preparation, all the cooking and cleaning. Then there's family dynamics. 有些家庭相处得很好，这是快乐的巨大源泉. For other families, 和不常见面的人聚在一起可能会给你带来巨大的压力，而每个人都应该很开心."

Aside from the external factors, he said, “有些人失去了亲人，有些人经历了虐待, and the holidays themselves can be difficult."

鲍赫曼推荐了他全年都在提倡的同样的正念技巧, 从深呼吸和锻炼到感恩日记和挑战内心的消极想法.

“在日常生活中，我们可以控制的最重要的三件事是睡眠, diet and exercise," he said. “所以，无论是寄宿家庭还是旅行，都要继续考虑这些健康因素. 在我们度假的时候，尽量保持正常的生活节奏."

Bauchman和Koenigsberg还提供了其他一些处理假期压力的建议:

Feast wisely. Koenigsberg说:“在假期里，我们会多吃一点，这没关系。. “现在不是给自己施加压力、试图减肥的时候. Just eat healthy, have reasonable portions and enjoy yourself."

Manage your gift-giving. 鲍赫曼说，他来自一个大家庭，礼物清单会很长很贵. "So, we do a Secret Santa," dividing up the burden, he said. "And we set a cap on how much to spend."

Socialize. Koenigsberg说:“如果你没有家人和朋友可以陪伴，你就必须社交。. “假期期间的一个担忧是人们被孤立. Please go out and be with people. Perhaps do something meaningful, like volunteering."

Get outside. "Spend time in nature," Bauchman advised. "The more time you spend in a tranquil place, the lower your depression, the lower your stress, and the better your quality of life is. You're getting healthy oxygen into your system."

Koenigsberg concurred. "Our body has over 600 muscles," he said. "They're meant to move, the more the better."

Have reasonable expectations. "If you assume everything's going to go flawlessly, you're setting yourself up for major disappointment," Koenigsberg said. “有时假期可能不会很顺利，或者是一段完全愉快的时光. You go through it and you move on."

Just say no. “你必须问自己，‘我能做到的极限是什么?'" Bauchman said. “你必须对自己诚实，不要试图做所有的事情."

You know this one's coming. 对于政治观点不同的家庭一起坐下来吃饭的标准建议是:不要在节日餐桌上讨论引起压力的争论.

Koenigsberg说:“今年剩下的线上电子游戏飞禽走兽里，你可以一直争论下去。.