Not a Caveman’s Holiday
Modern holiday traditions and stresses wreak havoc on our metabolic function – a function carefully crafted before the invention of the mega-plex shopping center.
Family time, loneliness, finances and over indulgence – all common stressors – exacerbated by the holidays that can lead to an over-abundance of stress and have detrimental effects on your health. Our bodies have several defense mechanisms to fuel us through stressful times, but these mechanisms were more effective when we lived barefoot in caves, food was scarce and shopping malls were non-existent.
Tight deadlines at work and holiday mayhem can send your body into a whirlwind of suppressed immune function and increased fat storage – thanks to one little hormone, cortisol. Cortisol is secreted by the adrenal cortex and is essential to many functions in the body including waking up, exercising, eating and handling stressful psychosocial events.
It seems like a hopeless matter, having a caveman’s metabolism while enduring holiday hassles, but although your body may not have kept up with centuries of change, your mind certainly has. Here are some strategies to keep that raging stress hormone under control this holiday season:
- Holiday shopping. Too much to do and too little time to do it ranks number one on the list of holiday stressors for 34 percent of Americans. Having a plan for your holiday shopping can minimize the chaos of shopping. Know where you are going, what you are going to get and have a plan B, just in case.
- Gift Giving. Finances rank number three on the list of top holiday stress-inducers and it’s no wonder with all the pressure to open up your wallet and spend. You can avoid over-spending and pitfalls by giving gifts that will satisfy an entire family. For example, your sister and her husband and their four kids would probably enjoy an ice-cream maker.
- Family Gatherings. Time with family is the number one reason Americans feel stressed during the holidays. The best way to handle family gatherings is to pre-plan escapes for you and your spouse or favorite cousin. Telling everyone in advance that you have tickets to the play on the third night of your visit or friends to visit for a few hours on the actual holiday can give you the chance to take everything in doses without anyone suspecting your dying for a spur-of-the-moment escape.