Stress can manifest in subtle and not-so-subtle ways. It creeps into our lives sometimes unnoticed until its effects become impossible to ignore. It manifests in various ways, impacting our mental, emotional, and physical well-being.

Mental Manifestations:

Brain Fog: You may have difficulty concentrating, making decisions, and retaining information. Racing thoughts are common and it can be hard to quiet your mind.

Negative Thoughts: Pessimism and self-doubt can take over. You become irritable and impatient. I’ve experienced some of this and never want anyone to become the target of my cranky self. Getting trapped in a self-doubt spiral is no fun either.

Forgetfulness: You experience memory lapses, especially your short-term memory. You may also have difficulty recalling details or organizing your thoughts. Sometimes, I think the loss of memory is just my body showing signs of age. That may be somewhat true but stress is likely the culprit more times than not. I forget numbers and can’t always find the right words when I am stressed.

Emotional Manifestations:

Heightened Anxiety: Excessive worrying…

The last two months of the year can be challenging. You already have a lot on your plate with all the NEW in your life - the new job, new home, new environment, new relationship status, new family member, new financial status, or new career - you get the picture. Then the holidays appear and that change takes on a whole new significance. The season can either be joyous or a big old mess or something in between.

Let’s face it. The holiday season comes with its own set of expectations. There is money to be spent, friends and relatives to see, events to attend, and food and drinks to consume. All of these things can be laden with stress and anxiety for starters, and then you throw in something new, and those emotions increase tenfold. You just moved and are feeling lonely, you just got divorced and miss the family you had, you recently lost a loved one and are grieving, you started a new job or career and are feeling the crunch of performing, or you just got laid off and are wondering how you can afford to buy gifts.

The holiday season is going to show up like clockwork every year whether we like it or not so here are a few recommendations to equip you with the goods to survive it all…