Over the festive season, many people will suffer from severe cases of stress. Stress and anxiety are two of the most common mental issues in the western world. Many people do not realize what harm can come from stress. When people feel that they cannot cope with their daily tasks, they are in danger of having a mental breakdown. The fact that nobody is willing to talk about mental problems means that they never get the help that they need.
This year, doctors are warning people about the possible health implications stress can cause. Many people across the country, are oblivious to the impact the issue can have on their lives. The Christmas period should be a time for happiness and joy, yet for many it is a time of great worry and troubles.
The most stressful time of year
There are loads of reasons that people feel the strain at Christmas. For many, the Christmas season brings a brand new set of worries, rather than any pleasure. There are many pressures and expectations during the holidays. People have to worry about buying presents, arranging transportation and taking time off work. It is not easy for many people, especially when they lack the finances they need.
It is not just financial restraints that trouble people at Christmas. People have many parties to attend and people to see. Alcohol consumption rises by around 40% each December. That means that people drink almost twice as much over the holidays as they, usually, would. Although alcohol is not a stress trigger, it does impact people’s mental state. Many people suffer from alcohol-related depression over the festive season, as well as anxiety. When people consume alcohol, they are unable to cope with normal levels of stress. In extreme circumstances, this leads people to commit suicide.
Workplace related anxiety
There is no escape for people who suffer from anxiety. In the workplace, one in four people struggle to cope with their ever-expanding workload. For people who work in the entertainment or hospitality industry, the holidays can be their busiest time of year. That means that many people have overwhelming amounts of work during December. Some workplaces use e learning Praxis 42 courses to teach managers how to spot stress in their employees. Targeting the causes of stress is the best way to help.
Office parties, and gatherings during this period are also a trigger for anxious people. For many people, Christmas is the only time of year that they will socialize with their coworkers. Loads of people find the notion of seeing people in a new environment worrying. It can be hard for people to relax around their colleagues in an alien setting. When you add some alcohol to that already difficult situation, you have a recipe for disaster.
Financial worries and stress
The average cost of Christmas in each household is in the thousands. There is a level of expectation during the festive season. Media pressure encourages people to spend loads of money on gifts and food. If people already have tight budgets, they might find it difficult to cope with the expense of Christmas. Few people budget for Christmas throughout the year. That means that when December comes, they have to spend more than half of their November salary on the event. That means that people struggle for money in January, and find it hard to cover their everyday living costs. Financial worries are one of the biggest stress triggers for people. Few people can cope with the idea of having no money to live on, and so it impacts their life.
How does stress affect you physically?
Many people believe that stress is just a mental disorder. That is not the case at all. When you experience high levels of anxiety, you are likely to fall ill with many serious health complaints. Few people realize that stress is directly related to many life-threatening diseases and illnesses. That means that your body feels the physical effects of stress, whilst your brain feels the mental side of it. Doctors around the world insist that anxiety and stress are two of the largest killers.
Stress lowers your immune system. That means that you could get plenty of illnesses while your defenses are down. Psoriasis is a common skin disorder related to stress. If you notice that you have dry, itchy skin, you likely have this problem. That is one of the minor symptoms of stress, though, and the others are much worse. For example, stressed people are 60% more likely to suffer from heart disease. That means that you may suffer from a premature heart attack. Most people think that only the elderly suffer from heart issues, but that is false information. In fact, there are growing numbers of young people dying from heart attacks around the world.
Other symptoms of stress include colds, infections and spots. When your immune system fails you, you will be a target for many minor ailments. If you notice that you have bad skin and tend to get sick often, you may need to check out your anxiety levels.
How can you reduce your stress levels?
Reducing your stress levels is easier said than done. Much of the time, people get into negative thought patterns when they are under stress. When people have negative feelings, it means that they struggle to see anything in a positive light. These people have learned to think about things in an unhealthy way. The key to overcoming that obstacle is unlearning things. It takes people time to develop a positive outlook on life, and so you need to keep at it if you want to succeed.
Immediate solutions to you anxiety problem include drinking less alcohol and reducing your workload. These two things might seem hard, especially in December, but they will be worthwhile. You should also try to get more sleep on a daily basis. On average, people need around nine hours sleep per night. If you are getting less than that, you need to change your routine. Reducing your stress levels will change your outlook on life and help you be healthy and happy.