Overcoming Holiday Stress

By Tim McKnight, MD

            The Norman Rockwell images of family gatherings around the holidays are imprinted in most of our minds.  His inspired paintings helped to shape a visual of what most of us strive to achieve with our families around this special time of year. Yet, for many of us, the realities of life’s circumstances strike a chord of dissonance as we realize “happy holidays” are not always our experience.

            Stress can ruin holiday cheer.  It is never welcome, but around the holidays, it is a most unwelcome guest.   Most of the stress in our lives has its origin within each of us.  We create stress in response to events and the stories we tell ourselves as we interpret what these events mean to us.    However, “stress” is not just an emotional event or mindset.  It is a chemical event with physical consequences.

            In response to the meaning we give these events we change the cellular chemistry within our bodies in a self-defensive, survival mode.  The human stress response calls for a redistribution of blood flow from the gut to the muscles in response to the anticipated fight our musculoskeletal systems expect to wage.  The result is impaired and slower digestion of food.  In fact, when stress is extreme, diarrhea often results; constipation, bloating, gas and abdominal pain may also accompany stress. 

           Stress also results in a redistribution of cerebral (brain) blood flow.  In the fight or flight mode of stress our bodies are more primed for the quick, reactive responses of movement and energy expenditure from the primitive brain located at the brainstem.  This is at the expense of the higher centers of reason and logical thinking that occurs at the cerebral cortex.  Yes, stress slows higher thinking, effectually clouding judgment and making us “dumber”.

            Perhaps the most significant effects of stress on our bodies results from the repeated assaults on our adrenal glands as we prime them for fight or flight via cortisol, epinephrine, and nor-epinephrine.  With the daily stresses of limited financial resources, family conflicts, shortened sleep, poor nutrition and lack of exercise, many of us will feel exhausted-mentally and physically.   Before long, we feel more like the Grinch than the Whos down in Whoville.

            The remedy:  dash to bed early, trim the junk foods out of your diet, seek to have silent nights free from stress, and lend an ear to what your body is telling you; more importantly, to what you are telling yourself as you create your stresses.  Finally, have yourself a merry little Christmas first; because chances are, if you’re not feeling merry because of the stress you are creating, Santa may leave his good cheer at the next house!

Dr. Tim McKnight is Director of Trinity Hospital Twin City’s Fit for Life wellness program. For more information about Fit for Life, call 740-922-7450, ext. 2124.