As I finished FaceTime-ing my family on Thanksgiving day last week, I could not shake the overwhelming feeling that “things are not as they should be.” Being away from my family for the holiday out of caution, despite the opportunity to connect virtually, just felt…different.
The year of 2020 has been extraordinary to say the least. With the ongoing stress of the pandemic, I find myself craving normalcy, routines, and traditions — all things we typically partake in during the holiday season, but not this year. Perhaps you feel the same.
Or, perhaps the holidays feel different for you for another reason. Some of us may be experiencing the loss or illness of a loved one. Some of us may be experiencing illness ourselves. Some of us may still be unemployed. The holidays are different this year, indeed.
Differences like these can be quite jarring to our whole person. When we experience chronic stress like this, it can become “toxic” to our body and emotions, leading to higher incidences of depression, anxiety, substance use, and even bodily disease such as heart disease and cancers. That’s an awfully scary list, but there is hope — this toxicity can be both prevented and reversed!
How, you might ask? Especially, how in the middle of a pandemic?! Here are three brief, but helpful tips for preventing the chronic stress of all these season differences from becoming toxic to you:
1) Find a way to connect with someone “face to face.” Whether it’s socially distant in-person with a mask on, or more cautiously via a video-chat application, face-to-face interaction has been proven by scientific research to increase the release of two mightily helpful hormones in our brains: oxytocin and dopamine. These two hormones are responsible for feelings of connection, affection, and pleasure. Plus, the more often we connect with friends or family “face-to-face”, the less isolated and alone we will feel, thus decreasing many of those nasty symptoms mentioned above.
2) Increase your self-awareness. Do you really know what coping strategies you gravitate towards, or is it more second-nature? Are you more likely to reach for a good book to read, or for alcohol? Are you more likely to go for a walk around the block to clear your head, or to stay in bed all day? Becoming more aware of our coping strategies and our own patterns of behavior can help us prevent unhealthy outcomes.
3) Find a way to do good for someone. Maybe the old lady next door would appreciate your help picking up groceries this week. Perhaps your family friend who just had a baby would appreciate a pre-made meal tonight. There are innumerable, pandemic-safe ways that we can serve one another this holiday season, and research has shown that doing good deeds actually directly affects your mood and attitude.
Although the holidays are different this year, we still have hope that we can make it a good season for ourselves and for each other. What other ideas do you have for preventing the effects of toxic stress? We would love to know your thoughts in the comments.
-written by Chase Cotten, Executive Director
