Newswise — Joan Lang, M.D., a psychiatrist and chair of the department of psychiatry at Saint Louis University School of Medicine, says a holiday celebration with family can be a hassle. Factor in travel for those who plan to hit the road and you've got the triple crown of stress.
"Any holiday, including Thanksgiving, delivers the potential for let down and disappointment. If you find travel arduous and have tense family dynamics, those can be additional sources of stress. Wrap them together in an out-of-town, frenetic weekend and it's one, two, three strikes," Dr. Lang says.
"On the other side of it, the celebration of a holiday, the excitement of travel and being with loved ones gives you the possibility of catching several nice things at once. You could come away with happy memories."
So what can you do to de-stress Thanksgiving and make it memorable in a positive way?
The key, Dr. Lang says, lies in being realistic about your expectations. The holidays portrayed on television and in Normal Rockwell paintings are fantasies that don't include cranky kids or a grandmother who speaks her mind at inopportune moments. Realize what's likely to occur and accept it for what it is.
"Try to be kind to yourself and forgiving of the frailties of others," Lang says. "Look at the holidays more realistically. Even if they aren't perfect, there probably are some moments that will go well."
It's critical to be kind to yourself. Don't put the things that affect your well being at the bottom of the list. For instance, if you don't enjoy sleeping on a pullout couch at your sister-in-law's house, look into booking a room in a nearby hotel.
Be kind to others, too. Take a few moments to play a board game with your 5-year-old nephew who's clamoring for your attention. Ask your Aunt Francis who typically doesn't have much to say how she celebrated Thanksgiving when she was young. Try to get everyone off the couch an after-dinner walk to look at Christmas lights.
"Focus on the positives from last year and figure out what you can do to make things better this year," Dr. Lang says. "If you change your choreography, you might be pleasantly surprised at how other people get into step."
Established in 1836, Saint Louis University School of Medicine has the distinction of awarding the first M.D. degree west of the Mississippi River. Saint Louis University School of Medicine is a pioneer in geriatric medicine, organ transplantation, chronic disease prevention, cardiovascular disease, neurosciences and vaccine research, among others. The School of Medicine trains physicians and biomedical scientists, conducts medical research, and provides health services on a local, national and international level.
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