European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - December 13, 1994, Darmstadt, Hesse Houda spirit Christmas turns out better if you Don t expect perfection by Lewis Cope Minneapolis St. Paul Star Tribune everyone is aware of Holiday stress but in the heat of the season people often forget that they have some control Over their behaviour and the amount of stress they endure. In the spirit of the season therefore Here Are eight tips for happier and healthier holidays develop a plan for gift giving. And consider some creative approaches. Trying to buy the " perfect gift for everyone on your list is asking for stress both financial and psychological says Lynn Lockhart a psychologist at Abbott Northwestern Hospital in Minneapolis. The psychological stress results from being unable to meet self imposed unrealistic goals. The personal aspect of a gift can be More important than the Price she said. All gifts Don t have to come from stores. S me options to consider give certificates for your services such As commitments to do cooking House cleaning show Elm or Leaf raking. That will allow the Friend or relative to Cash in the certificates throughout the year. As an added Benefit the activities will bring the two of you together in a special Way. Make a gift to a Charity in which you and the person on your gift list have a special interest. This allows both of you to share the warm feelings from helping others. Rather than giving Young children in the family Money to buy gifts for others have them make the gifts. This makes them Active participants in the spirit of giving. Be prepared to manage children s expectations. When a child hears All the things that their friends Are expecting for Christmas the child is Likely to want All those things too. Turn this problem into an Opportunity to teach kids values and the real meanings of Christmas which Are love and sharing says Lockhart. Another psychologist Jonathan Hoistad of the Minneapolis psychiatric Institute offered some special advice to parents of preschoolers who say they want a lot of things seen on to a in magazines if you say you can t have this and you can t have that every time they ask for something you re asking for a fight . Wait to see what things they continue to ask for. Then you la know what they really want and can Deal with the requests realistically. Be sensitive to what s important to your children rather than trying to fulfil your own expectations. While every Young child loves the spirit of Santa some Are frightened by having to sit in a department store Santa s Lap. Let the child make that decision. Alcoholic drinks Are served at Many parties during the holidays. Many Young children feel nervous in such situations and should t be forced to stay to talk with All your friends. Grade school students have come to accept some Structure in their lives. During the holidays when school in t in session provide reassuring Structure by having scheduled times for shopping and other activities Hoistad y. Develop a family Holiday tradition the tradition May be sitting by the fireplace to discuss All the things that have happened in the family members lives during the past year. Or it May be carrying a gift to a needy neighbor. Or it can be anything else that brings the family together in a Way that does t happen at other times of the year Lockhart said. An our family tradition can be particularly important for families that Combine children from previous for a Calmer Holiday get the whole family involved. Saint Nick can be an imposing even threatening image. Don t Force kids to see Santa if they Don t want to. Marriages but it s a Good Way for other families to make the holidays special too she said. Realize there s no such thing As a perfect All families have problems at times. And with so much happening during the holidays it s Only realistic to expect that there will be tension and problems Lockhart said. Accept this while enjoying the positive aspects of the season. Y y y by a. Don t forget to take care of yourself. With All the added activities of the holidays build in some relaxation times Lockhart said. And set some limits particularly for alcohol and calories. There Are tons of sugar and fats in Holiday food she said. Eat a healthy salad before going to a party and you won t be so hungry when you get there. Be cautious in setting new year s resolutions. Be sure that your resolutions for 1995 Are realistic Lockhart said. If they re not you May have a double setback you won t accomplish anything when you could have met a realistic goal. And you la feel guilty about failing to keep the Resolution you made. Watch out for a Post holidays letdown. Some people get so excited by the holidays that they feel let Down after they re Over. After seeing so Many old friends Over the holidays they May feel lonely in january. After the holidays can be a Good time for a family get together or to plan other activities closer to Home Lockhart said. Or you May want to invite friends or relatives to an open House after the holidays rather than doing one during the busiest season Scripps Howard news service migraine the holidays can be one big headache for sufferers avoid shopping panic by making some of your gifts. By . D Alessio the associated press y the 12th Day of Christmas the holidays brought to me 12 unfinished projects 11 chocolate Bonbons 10 squabbling relatives nine perfume samples eight cups of Coffee seven strings of blinking lights six ounces of red wine five hours of sleep four Walnut cheese balls three whining youngsters two smoke filled rooms and a headache you would t believe. Or. Seymour Diamond would believe it. As executive director of the National headache foundation he knows the stress and altered lifestyle patterns of the holidays Are prime causes of severe headache. From thanksgiving to new years we see a greater incidence of tension Type headaches and migraines Diamond said. At my private headache clinic in Chicago we treat about 40 patients than we would in a Normal 40-Day period. We re family stresses and Long lines in hot noisy department stores Are enough to trigger tension headaches even in people who Aren t headache prone. Diamond recommends shopping Early. Failing that he said practising relaxation and stretching techniques such As neck Rolls and slow deep breaths is a Good Way to release built up altered sleep patterns also play a role in headaches. Late night parties can mean too Little sleep while time off. Can woo people into sleeping late which contributes to headache causing Carbon dioxide buildup in the blood. Try to go to sleep and Wake up the same time every Day whether you Are going to work or not Diamond said. Tension headaches Are one thing migraines something else. ,. For migraine sufferers the holidays Are a minefield. A spritz of perfume at the cosmetics counter can trigger a migraine. So can the blinking lights of a Christmas tree or " cigarette smoke at a new year s Eye party. Avoid these things Diamond advised. If you have to use the Side door of the department store to avoid the perfume counter use it he. Said. Go Only to smoke free restaurants. There Are also some scent free restaurants now where they Don t allow perfume.". Food and drink can trigger a migraine As Well. Doctors. Is photo Ului orilion by Sut no Roii and oui Satiu Kew say culprits often contain chemical substances called Tyr amines and Tramine Laden foods Are everywhere they include chocolate walnuts and aged cheeses. _ and liver Pate Don t forget liver pat6," Diamond said. It s at every Holiday party and it s the caffeine can set off a migraine As can red wine. Speaking of alcohol the third category of Holiday headache the hangover is completely avoidable Don t drink. For those who do Diamond has some tips drink in moderation and slowly. Since wines whiskies brandies and most rums Are High in headache causing impurities called congeners Vodka or Gin is safer especially if mixed liberally with fruit juice. Eat Toast slathered with Honey after drinking since Honey like some fruit juices contains a sugar that helps. Metabolize alcohol 16 the stars and stripes tuesday december 13, 1994 the stars and stripes 17
