My kids normally have plenty of unscheduled time to play or just unwind, but the last couple of weeks have been busy ones. At dinner last night, I couldn't help but notice that they both just looked tired, and I realized that it was time to slow things down.

The holidays are a fun and magical time for kids, but even good stress can cause wear and tear on their physical health. Ediets has a list of 10 tips to make the holidays more peaceful for your children, including a few of my favorites:

• Make physical activity a priority, especially outside play. Exercise relieves stress and exposure to sunlight may help your child sleep better.
• Incorporate relaxation into your child's day through play.
• Make your home a quiet space. Reduce screen time (computer, TV, etc.) to reduce exposure to holiday advertisements.
• Be a stickler about bedtime; sleep is essential.
  

Have some more tips for making the holidays fun and stress-free for your kids? Share them with us!

Source

Does anxiety cause you to shut down some days? For some it does, but a normal amount of anxiety is certainly normal. Drawing the line between that level and abnormal anxiousness is the hard part for some, though.

If you find yourself feeling anxious about some things more regularly than not, the American Academy of Family Physicians has a few suggestions for you on lowering your anxiety level and dealing with the normal levels you already have:

• It's OK to worry about some things -- but try not to let anxiety consume your day. Set aside a certain amount of time each day to consider all of the things that are concerning you, and come up with ways to deal with them. Once your time is up, try to move on.
• Try relaxation techniques such as yoga, meditation, deep breathing and stretching.
• Get regular exercise and plenty of sleep. Avoid caffeine and alcohol.
• Take care of issues that caused you to worry in the past.
• Talk to your doctor about your anxiety and concerns.

Source

If you haven't started shopping already, you probably will soon. And while the holiday season involves gift giving for all of the special people in your life, it's also a good time to indulge another person you care about -- yourself. Ease holiday stress by taking good care of yourself and allowing yourself a treat or two. You don't have to buy yourself a present and wrap it up in a bow to indulge in these gifts, but you certainly could!

What does your body want to see under the Christmas tree?

• great skin care
• a good stretch
• a massage
• restraint
• laughter

Find out how to treat your body well this holiday season in the gallery below.

Source

I'm not hosting Thanksgiving this year, and boy does that feel good. All I have to do is make a couple of side dishes and plan on helping the hostess (my mom) out. But I know that many of you are creating delicious, nutritious menus, getting your home company-ready, and pulling down the good china. Real Simple has 40 ways to reduce stress and simplify your Thanksgiving, so if you're feeling a little strung out over the whole affair, check them out.

And if you're simply a guest at Thanksgiving this year, they have tips for how to get those delicious potluck items to your destination safely. Remember, the holiday season is about family and gratitude, not stressing out so much that you're unhappy. Take it easy, have fun, and enjoy.

Source

Depending on your personal situation, the holidays can be a mix of strong emotions. Some people feel happy and excited, and anticipate the holidays. Others might feel depressed or lonely. Some may have mixed feelings about gathering with family, others may worry that holiday spending might break their budget. It's clear that whether the feelings are happy or sad, stress is a part of the holiday season.

WebMD has a list of dos and don'ts to help you navigate the holiday season peacefully. They include:

• Exercise daily. It can relieve depression and help prevent weight gain.
• Turn off your TV.
• Keep spending to a minimum.
• Spend time socializing with others to alleviate loneliness.
• Focus on what's important this holiday season, and try to find balance in your life.

If you find yourself getting stressed, try to remove yourself from the hype and slow down this holiday season.

Source

Here it is again -- the holidays and we're just three weeks or so from one of the largest holidays of the year -- when measured in "stress" amounts. We've all heard that the holidays are more stressful than any work week. The hours of shopping, going to parties and events, hosting events at our homes, fixing large meals and entertaining guests, making our humble abodes look festive for the holidays...it goes on and on.

And that's just the half of it -- add to that the financial stress of *not* looking forward to paying off debt from all those holiday gift purchases, trying to not overeat with all the food choices you'll have and even living up to expectations of family members and relatives that you rarely see -- these are all huge stress triggers. How about you?

It's sad that the holidays are filled with more stress and anxiety than of restful relaxation, but that's just the way it is for many of us. There are simply too many things to do and the road to just relaxing just becomes filled with roadbumps and other obstacles.

Source

The holidays are supposed to be fun and relaxing, but unfortunately for a lot of people they're also full of stress and frustration. I still get excited about shopping and cooking, and don't necessarily think of myself as being stressed -- but I am busier and have so much more on my mind during these months that there definitely is an element of rushing and strain.

The causes for holiday stress can vary from simple frustrations like mall parking and weight-gain worries to more deep-seated issues like family dynamics. Some thoughts from a collection of doctors, nutritionists, and other experts on having a healthier and less stressful holiday season include budgeting calories early to allow room for splurges, spreading the holiday out instead of focusing only on the "big days," or even taking a real pre-season vacation to rejuvenate yourself for all the upcoming events and family time.

See the full list of 10 tips, complete with slide-show, at Forbes.com.

Source

Like there are not enough things to stress about during the holidays, a new study reports that December is the deadliest month for heart attacks. The study didn't say anything about more heart attacks in December, just that of those that did happen more people died as a result than in any other month.

Thankfully, the margin of difference is small: 22 percent of December heart attacks were fatal within 30 days, compared to only 20% of heart attacks happening in any other month. That seems like a fairly small difference, but still interesting because one month stands out from the other eleven -- why? Researchers are considering many factors, but as of now they aren't sure what the cause is. Things they're looking at include stress of the holiday season, vacationing doctors, and possible treatment trends.

The important thing to remember is that the key to surviving a heart attack is receiving fast medical attention. Maybe during the holidays people are so busy they ignore symptoms and don't go to the hospital as soon as they should? Remember also that heart attacks can present in a variety of ways, it doesn't always happen with sharp chest or arm pains like in the movies.

Source