Ask Dr. Shiroko

Easing holiday stress with love
I don’t know about you, but my family is crazy during the holidays. Their worst attributes seem to find a way to show up. It doesn’t matter that my mom is German and she didn’t even grow up in the states, she seems to develop a weird mood at the onset of Thanksgiving or any other holiday. Suddenly, people who never get along are supposed to behave, dress a certain way, eat with people they’re mad at, and in general be cheerful and content.
Everyone has one reason or another for stress during the holidays, whether it’s too much to do, you don’t have the money you want to buy people gifts, you can’t see the family members you want to see, or you’re angry at your dad but can’t find a way to deal with it effectively.
Stress as we all know is bad for your body. And being stressed about something good is sad. Ideally holidays are a good time. Here are some suggestions for decreasing your holiday stresses.
1. Gratitude is a wonderful practice any time of year. It helps you feel more fulfilled, helps you see your life as positive, and allows more good things to come. It’s really what Thanksgiving is all about. The pilgrims would have died if the Indians hadn’t helped them. Their feast was a thank you and a celebration.
We have a certain perspective on our lives based on our expectations. We can get into the habit of viewing things from that angle. No matter what’s wrong with your life, there’s always someone who has it worse. While that shouldn’t be your motivation for being grateful, it might help change your perspective so that you can begin to see how good life is for you.
2. Remember the Love. Another way is to approach the holidays from the perspective of healing relationships. Try to use the holidays as an opportunity to love the people in your life no matter what. Even if you have imperfect family dynamics, take the opportunity to focus on the love you have.
If someone angers you or causes you pain, remember that the love you have is more important than your need to be right, or your pain. Slow down enough to see that the person in front of you has a story, too. Count to ten before you react to whatever is going on around you.
3. Acupuncture. Year round, I have clients come to me for acupuncture when they are experiencing stress, and feel like they can’t relax or slow down. Acupuncture works gently with hardly any pain. It has an amazing ability to completely remove stress from your body.
Stress and anxiety come from a place of not being balanced. Many people actually experience forgetting that they ever had stress, because acupuncture is so effective at removing it.
4. Holy Basil. When your physical body is balanced, your emotions are less likely to take over. Holy Basil is a wonderful herb that balances your adrenals (which is where stress affects you most) and takes away stress. See your local alternative health doctor for personalized recommendations of herbs and supplements.
In addition to supplements, maintaining healthy eating habits keeps your blood sugar and body in better balance. As tempting as it may be to watch the calories, try not to skip meals this holiday season.
As a final thought, consider this when making your holiday commitments. Observe the places you are going to and how you feel about the visits. Are you going there in love, in friendship, in forgiveness? Are you going there in anger, resentment, and with hurt feelings? Pay attention to your emotions. See how you might be able to make different choices this holiday season and experience more calm, love, and wellness.
Dr. Shiroko Sokitch’s column appears monthly. She can be reached at: dr*****@ht***.com.