American Psychological Association Points Out Risks of Stress During Holiday Season

The holiday shopping season is now upon us. For many people this is a time for joy and celebration. Many people love shopping for their friends and loved ones. Actually, one out of five people feel that shopping helps reduce their amount of stress in their lives. Yet, that is not the case for everyone. For many people, the holidays increase their stress level, and holiday shopping is a large contributor to that stress level. This is according to a recent press release from the American Psychological Association.

According to the press release the pressure of the perfect holiday can contribute to stress levels for Americans throughout the country. People now feel pressure to have big holiday meal, gifts that friends and family will remember, and well decorated homes. The pressure to accomplish this adds to the stress of the holidays for many. One of the biggest causes of stress is the lack of money to accomplish all these goals, at least for 60 percent of those surveyed on holiday stress according to the press release. This is before the bills start coming in even at the beginning of the year.

Coping with the stress of the holidays is important according to the press release, yet few people take the time to do it. According to the survey, more than four out of five people fail to take any additional steps to handle the additional stress the holidays bring upon them. This is troubling as according to the American Psychological Association this leads to Americans developing poor habits to deal with stress.

There are many popular ways Americans choose to deal with stress that the press release labels as poor habits. 56 percent of Americans start comfort eating to deal with their stress according to the American Psychological Association. Meanwhile, 30 percent drink more alcohol and 43 percent decide to either sleep or watch television more during the holidays.

Christmas presents.

Credit: Kelvin Kay

Copyright: Kelvin Kay