5 Practical Ways to Survive this Holiday Season

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This Holiday season is like none we've ever seen. The isolation can be intense. What does this do to our Holiday traditions, the parties, the friends and the family members which make our season bright? Here are 5 practical ways to survive this Holiday season while managing stress, depression and anxiety: 

1. Don't isolate yourself: Those of you who are completely alone might consider staying 

with your family or have another single friend spend a couple weeks with you. If you have your own family engage in fun activities that ignite some new traditions. For example, some people have opted to go cut down a live Christmas tree. Record yourself Christmas caroling with some of your friends and send them as Holiday cards. The possibilities are endless. 

2. Put your marital conflict on hold: Vow to resolve your problems after the Holiday 

season. Focus instead on what is positive about your relationship. Why did you originally fall in love? Of course, this doesn't mean if the conflict is so intense that you are hurting each other. If that is the case perhaps you could isolate from each other during this time. Go home to your respective families to catch a break. 

3. Keep a Holiday Journal: Write down your feelings about this Holiday season both 

negative and positive. It's much better to externalize our emotions. It's also easier to identify emotional patterns after you've been logging them for a while. After the Holiday season is over you can make an effort to work on resolving the negative emotions. You could also focus on what you're grateful for in your life. This helps you focus on the positive aspects of your life. Talk about what's working for you right now. 

4. Pick up a new skill set: Wanting to learn a new language? Perhaps look for an online 

class or group that's learning via Babble. Find a new hobby that involves individual time as well activities with others. 

5. Read a great self help book: Wanting to work on your self-esteem, over-eating or anger 

issues. Now is the time to get a head start on doing something positive to help you grow emotionally and psychologically. Start the new year on the right path. 

Any effort you make to change your life will pay off in the long run. I know that it can be difficult to make these changes by yourself. If you need help don't hesitate to call. We're here 

Check out at info@greaterchicagocounseling.com or by phone at (312)955-0319. 

Warning Signs of Anxiety

Anxiety is commonly defined as a feeling of “worry, nervousness, or unease,” often pertaining to an event or uncertainty around an outcome. These feelings of anxiety may interfere with day-to-day routines and may be difficult to control. In more extreme circumstances, sudden and intensified feelings of anxiety may result in panic attacks where the perceived danger is blown out of proportion, lasting as short as a few moments to a longer period of time.

Although many people associate anxiety with worrying too much, constantly feeling nervous, and too often focus on symptoms of the mind, warning signs can be felt in one’s body and observed in one’s behaviors. Common physical signs include increased heart rate, rapid breathing or hyperventilating, sweating, experiencing GI (gastrointestinal) issues, sweating, feeling weak or tired, and difficulties falling asleep. Changes in behavior may be present with increased irritability and avoiding things, persons, or situations that trigger feelings of anxiety like for example, skipping class on the day of a presentation or procrastinating making a phone call to set up a doctor’s appointment.

If you notice some of these signs within your own mind, body, and behaviors, it is important to seek help early as symptoms and signs can worsen over time. If you notice your worries getting in the way of your work, relationships, and other aspects of your life along with difficulties in keeping these worries under control, take the step in seeking the support that you need and deserve. Your anxiety does not define you! Remind yourself that your anxiety is a normal process and you have the potential and power to change how you think about, experience, and react to it.

Women Suffer More than Men from High Anxiety

Today I heard a new poll that stated women were more worried about their futures than were their male counterparts.  While this was disturbing to hear it didn’t surprise me at all.  It is true that women are worriers.  How many of us have had sleepless nights worrying about our children, our aging parents, our jobs, our husband, our boyfriends and the list can seem endless.

Women are tremendously prone to worry because we tend to be caretakers of everyone in our lives.  Sometimes, or might I say many times, we worry about everyone else to the detriment of ourselves.  Worry, better known as anxiety, can reek havoc on our physical and mental health.  Anxiety is one of those strange emotions that can help us do well on tests.  However, if we experience too much then it interferes with performance.  So, anxiety can get moving or can cripple our ability to function.  It’s a fine line and a hard one to control.

However, I would encourage all the women in my life to at least try.  There are a few simple steps that can really help manage anxiety.  If it’s anxiety that’s caused by procrastination then I would encourage an individual to tackle the task one piece at a time.  If  the anxiety/worry is due to something we cannot control, especially during times we’re in today, then I would encourage some different approaches.

In an earlier post, I spoke of how we cannot be anxious if our bodies are relaxed.  Therefore, I would encourage you to engage in those activities which maximize relaxation.  For example, meditation/yoga are wonderful forms of deep relaxation.   Any form of workout can also lead to the alleviation of stress and the release of endorphins.  Lastly, I would encourage you to put the concerns out of your mind especially if your thoughts are destructive.

If the anxiety isn’t helping you move forward, then actively work at alleviating your anxiety.  Therapy can be extremely helpful if you’ve been officially diagnosed with an Anxiety Disorder.

Take charge of your life today and call Dr. Goschi because help is just a phone call away @ (312)595-1787.