Going home for the holidays is an exciting time of year, but for many of us, a stressful time too.
According to the American Psychological Association, 41% of adultโs stress levels increase during the holidays.
Being home can bring up old conflicts and political arguments. Experts at UVA Health say to make sure to plan ahead and manage your expectations.
โWe go into the holidays sometimes thinking, yeah, this year itโs gonna be great. Weโre gonna, weโre gonna be so close. Weโre gonna have so much fun. Iโm gonna go for a whole week, and in reality, if youโre going to visit people who you feel pretty tense with, going for a whole week might be too much.โ
Dr. Claudia Allen, a practitioner at UVA Healthโs Family Stress Clinic
Remember that you donโt have to spend all your time with family. Itโs okay to go out on a walk, take time for yourself, and decompress.