It’s the most wonderful time of the year, a time for family, treats, presents and celebrations.
But for many, the anticipation of festive fun gives way to stress and anxiety as Christmas is just around the corner.
The stress of invading relatives, financial struggles, preparing the Christmas feast, can mount. Everyone handles stress in various ways, stress also affects everyone differently.
I can honestly say I’m a pretty patient person but when I see someone else is impatient, that’s a different story. People can easily lose patience while shopping or visiting family and friends. Sometimes all I hear is repetition, the other person becomes anxious as a result of being impatient. Here are a few tips for alleviating the lack of patience:
Keep busy – don’t make Christmas the be all and end all. Do the things you always enjoy, like walking or going to the cinema.
Volunteer – There’s a huge feeling of satisfaction from volunteering and many charities and organisations need help at Christmas.
Get up and exercise – it reduces stress and the serotonin your body creates gives your mood a lift.
Keep healthy – all that eating and drinking makes us lethargic. Eat plenty of fruit and veggies and it will make you feel more energetic.
Phone a friend – talk to people who care, even if you can’t be with them at Christmas. And remember, there are many charities who arrange get togethers at Christmas so you don’t have to be alone.
Anita Levesque is a web and graphic designer, a mental health advocate with lived experience through loved ones; father – bipolar; brother – PTSD, depression, anxiety; mother – PTSD; boyfriend – clinical depression, severe OCD, GAD, personality disorders. The goal with my website, http://mentalillness-doyouknow.com is to focus on personal experiences rather than articles by doctors and medical professionals who haven’t experienced mental illness. Anita writes articles for several websites on topics such as OCD, Addictions, Suicide, PTSD and more. She resides in Stoney Creek, Ontario and interests are photography, reading, music, learning, spending time with her family.
You can follow Anita on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and LinkedIn.
Defying Shadows 
Great post!