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How to mitigate family stress this holiday season

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 adultโ€™s 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.

โ€œWe go into the holidays sometimes thinking, yeah, this year itโ€™s gonna be great. Weโ€™re gonna, weโ€™re gonna be so close. Weโ€™re gonna have so much fun. Iโ€™m gonna go for a whole week, and in reality, if youโ€™re 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 Healthโ€™s Family Stress Clinic

Remember that you donโ€™t have to spend all your time with family. Itโ€™s okay to go out on a walk, take time for yourself, and decompress.


About the Author
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Char Morrison joined the WSLS team as a Content Gatherer in fall 2024.