Most of us are familiar with the Christmas carol “Deck the Halls.” The opening line, which gaily proclaims “'Tis the season to be jolly”, conjures up visions of laughter, family, and general feelings of good Christmas will.
Unfortunately, the reality of the holiday season is often anything but jolly. Let’s face it - most of us find the time period between Thanksgiving, Christmas (or Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, Eid-al-Adha, Bodhi Day, or any of the other many holidays celebrated during months of November and December), and New Year’s Day to be stressful. Most of the major holidays involve family, friends, food, celebrations, and of course, presents. Unless you do all of your shopping online (and even that presents some unique challenges), the mere act of getting a parking place at the mall can be an adventure that leaves you exhausted and wishing for the safety of January and the return to work and normalcy! After rounds of relatives, turkey dinners, parties, football games, obligatory school plays, and shopping, many are left feeling a little short on feelings of good will and the only peace they want to find isn’t peace for mankind, but a little peace and quiet around the house while they recuperate from the “celebrations!”
While this may be the season of celebrations, it’s also clearly a season of stress. For those with coronary artery disease (heart disease), the combination of heart disease and holiday stress can be deadly. Fifty percent more heart attacks occur during the winter months than during the other seasons. The highest concentration of heart attacks occurs during the Thanksgiving to New Year's Day holiday season. Since heart attacks can (and do) happen at any time, the sharp rise in heart attacks during the winter money is significant. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to understand that one of the culprits behind the rise in heart attacks during the holiday season isn’t too much holiday cheer - it’s too much holiday stress.
Stress at any time of the year, not just the holidays, is unhealthy for your heart, and may cause an increase in blood pressure. High blood pressure (hypertension) is one of the major risk factors for heart disease. When blood pressure is too high, the blood has to pump harder which may cause damage to the arteries. It also leads to the release of adrenaline which increases the heart rate. Suddenly, your heart finds itself in the unenviable position of having to do work more with less available resources. The result? A heart attack.
Managing holiday stress can be problematic but there are some steps you can take to at least reduce a portion of extra stress that this season of celebration brings.
• Foods. Watch what you eat. Stress frequently causes us to overeat. Instead of pushing away from the table when we’re full, we eat one more slice of pie, one more piece of bread, or the last spoonful of dressing. Watch your transfats and watch your diet!
• Get moving. I know what you’re thinking - exercise during the holidays? Who’s got the time? You do! When you consider that more than half of all heart attacks result in death, you are so worth a half hour walk around the block. Plus, it’ll give you time to get away from the crazy makers (also known as relatives) sitting at your dining room table and distress.
• Alcohol. As with any celebratory season, it’s easy to overindulge and have a little too much “nog” in your eggnog. Be mindful of the amount of alcohol you consume during the holidays.
In addition to the above, also consider shopping early (or online) and eliminate fighting the crowds at the mall. Also, don’t be afraid to say no. If you don’t want to go to a party, there’s no law on the books requiring you to do so (unless of course, it’s your boss - in which case, cut another activity to give yourself time to enjoy the holidays). Making simple changes to manage your holiday stress may not only increase the amount of good will and joy in your life this holiday season, it just may save your life as well.
Source:
Julia Layton, When do most heart attacks occur - - and why?, Discovery Health, 2010, http://health.howstuffworks.com/diseases-conditions/cardiovascular/heart/when-do-heart-attacks-occur.htm/printable
Diversity Calendar, University of Kansas Medical Center, http://www3.kumc.edu/diversity/ethnic_relig/eid-al-adha.html