KUTV

'Tis the season for presents, baking and stress.

"There are presents to buy, there are certain deadlines if you are mailing them you need to time that out. There's pressure that we probably put on ourselves to get the perfect gift," said Denise Lash, Ph.D, Director of Behavioral Therapy, Intermountain Healthcare Mental Health integration.

This year's holiday stress could look a little different because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

"The holidays are a great time for tradition and getting together, so people now have to think its out is it worth the risk? Is it worth the risk for some family members who we think are healthy or not," said Lash. "People have a lot of decisions to make about what they are comfortable or not comfortable doing this year."

One way to manage your stress and mental health is to create a loose schedule.

"When we have open time and we are not necessarily doing so well the mind tends to fixate on what might not be going well or our worries," said Lash.

You can also write a gratitude journal.

"Before going to bed each night for two weeks, you write down three things you are grateful for. Now, one of the keys here is that you do want it to be different from day to day if you can. I could write down every day that I am grateful for my family, for my dog and while that may be true doing that for two out of three days for the fourteen is not going to have as powerful of an outcome. It's much better if one day I say, 'I am grateful my family is understanding and I am grateful my friend sent me a text and we could connect, I am grateful I got a good night of sleep,' and then the next day it is a different set of things," said Lash.

Make sure you are maintaining a healthy lifestyle and are going outside regularly. Also, avoid social media if possible.

'If they notice themselves doing a lot of social comparison on social media, my recommendation is give yourself a holiday gift and get off of it for a day or two see how you feel," said Lash.

Social isolation can have a huge effect on mental and physical health. It is important to stay connected to friends and loved ones. That can be a simple phone call, shoveling snow for a neighbor or sending flowers to a friend. This holiday season , if you can't be with your family because of the coronavirus, create new traditions.

"I have talked to many grandparents who are so sad about not having regular time with their grandkids that they used to have and love. One way to help with that is children love to receive mail, so if you are a grandparent you could send regular or just once and a while notes. You could color a picture of a Christmas tree or a menorah and send that in the mail. It will make their day. You could also read a book, a holiday book or your favorite book to your grandchildren over zoom or send it over Marco Polo. You can keep some traditions live that way," said Lash.

Remember to look at the big picture and know that this is only one holiday season. Even traditions can handle having a year off.

"This is one holiday season out of a lifetime. If you have an average lifespan of 70 or so years perhaps having one that is not with all the traditions is not such a big deal in the grand scheme of everything. I think keeping the big picture idea of that will be helpful," said Lash. "This is a time of flexibility and tolerance."

Original post:
Check Your Health: Managing holiday stress during the COVID-19 pandemic - KUTV 2News