Parties, shopping, music, and cheer...what's to dread about the holiday season? For many people, it's stress. Before you let the pressure affect your mental and physical health, take these five steps to fighting stress - during the holiday season and beyond.

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Dealing with the demands of the holiday season is more stressful than asking the boss for a raise or going to the dentist. Not surprisingly, the biggest cause of stress this time of year is money.*

Whatever the time of year, anything that causes a change in your life - either good or bad - can cause stress.

Before the stress affects your mental and physical health, try these steps to fighting stress - during the holiday season and all year long.


When you encounter a stressful situation, the body reacts automatically. This fight-or-flight response - an acute period of stress that usually lasts no more than an hour - makes you tense, alert, and ready for action.

Common physical symptoms of stress include:

• Rapid heartbeat
  
  
• Headache
  
  
• Stiff neck and/or tight shoulders
  
  
• Backache
  
  
• Rapid breathing
  
  
• Sweating and sweaty palms
  
  
• Upset stomach, nausea, or diarrhea
  
  
• Sleep disturbances
  
  

The mental symptoms of stress affect thinking, behavior, and mood. They include:

• Feeling irritated and frustrated
  
  
• Intolerant of even minor disturbances
  
  
• Losing your temper more often
  
  
• Feeling jumpy or exhausted all the time
  
  
• Difficulty concentrating or focusing on tasks
  
  
• Worrying too much about insignificant things
  
  

For most people, an occasional period of acute stress generally isn't harmful. Still, acute stress can trigger an abnormal heartbeat and even a heart attack in those with heart disease. When stressful events happen too often, the body doesn't get a chance to recover. Over time, chronic stress affects the cardiovascular system, the nervous system, and the immune system. It can lead to high blood pressure, make you susceptible to infection, and increase your risk of depression.


When you recognize signs of stress, the first step to dealing with it is identifying the source. Obviously, it's natural to be stressed about traumatic events. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) says most people who deal with a catastrophe experience anger, fatigue, loss of appetite, sleep problems, and other stress-related effects. But everyday hassles can cause stress, too - especially when they add up.


Your reaction to stressful situations depends on several factors, including your coping skills, previous experiences, genetic makeup, and level of social support. What's stressful to one person may not affect another. The greatest factor, however, is how you view situations. Stress is a matter of perception. So coping with your perception is the key to avoiding harmful stress and dealing with it when it happens.

Stress happens year-round. We can't always control stressful situations, but coping strategies and healthy habits can minimize the impact of stress on mental and physical health.