No doubt you, like millions of others, find the holiday season stressful, to say the least. Did you know the holidays can actually harm your spiritual, emotional, relational, and physical health? How can you and your family reduce stress during holiday seasons? We’ll talk to an expert on today’s episode of Ask Dr. Walt.

From 2021-2022, I was honored to host a TV show on LiftableTV, “Ask Dr. Walt.”

No doubt you, like millions of others, find the holiday season stressful, to say the least. Did you know the holidays can actually harm your spiritual, emotional, relational, and physical health? How can you and your family reduce stress during holiday seasons? We’ll discuss this on this edition of Ask Dr. Walt.

You can click below to watch a video of the show, or I’ve put the show transcript at the end of the blog if you’d prefer.

CLICK HERE TO WATCH

You can read more about reducing stress, anxiety, and depression in a couple of books that you can find on my website, www.DrWalt.com. One is Fit over 50: Make Simple Choices for a Healthier, Happier You and the other is 10 Essentials of Happy, Healthy People: Becoming and staying highly healthy. Just go to DrWalt.com and click on the books tab.

ORDER OR LEARN MORE ABOUT “FIT OVER 50” or “10 ESSENTIALS” (As an Amazon Associate I earn a small commission from any qualifying purchases.)

Disclaimer: The Ask Dr. Walt show is designed for entertainment purposes to give information on various medical conditions, treatments, and procedures for your personal knowledge and to help you be a more informed consumer of medical and health services.

SHOW TRANSCRIPT

SHOW 30

Reducing Holiday Stress

Guest: Dwight Bain

TEASE:

No doubt you, like millions of others, find the holiday season stressful, to say the least. Did you know the holidays can actually harm your spiritual, emotional, relational, and physical health? How can you and your family reduce stress during holiday seasons? We’ll talk to an expert on today’s episode of Ask Dr. Walt.

OPEN:

Hi, everyone. I’m family physician Dr. Walt Larimore and I’m delighted you are taking the time today to explore ways you and your family can improve your health. The holiday season often brings unwelcome guests — stress, anxiety, and even depression. It’s no wonder. The holidays often present a dizzying array of demands — cooking meals, shopping, baking, cleaning, and entertaining, to name just a few. And if infections like influenza or coronavirus are spreading in your community, you may be feeling additional stress, or you may be worrying about you and your loved ones’ health. You may also feel stressed, sad, or anxious because your holiday plans may look different during widespread infections or pandemics. But with some practical tips, you can minimize the stress that accompanies the holidays. You may even end up enjoying the holidays more than you thought you would.

Joining us to talk about holiday stress is a dear friend of mine, Dwight Bain. Dwight has guided thousands of people through challenging times as an Author, Nationally Certified Counselor, Certified Leadership Coach, Licensed Mental Health Counselor, and former Family Law Mediator. We both began founded and began our individual clinical practices in Central Florida in the mid 1980. Barb and I moved to Colorado to join Focus on the Family in 2001, but Dwight is still practicing near the Central Florida mountain range which includes Space Mountain, Thunder Mountain, and Splash Mountain. Dwight, welcome to Ask Dr. Walt.

QUESTIONS OR TOPICS:

• Dwight, you’ve often stressed that there’s a difference between “good” stress, what some call “eustress,” and “bad” stress. What’s the difference?
• Why is this time of year so hard for so many people?
• What exactly is holiday stress and why is it dangerous?
• What are the causes of holiday stress?
• I imagine given the pandemic that holiday stress could be worse this year than usual?
• What’s the difference between holiday stress and the holiday blues?
• How common is holiday stress and how long does it last?
• How are kids impacted by the unusual pressures of the holidays?
• Comment on the dangers of substance abuse and holiday stress.
• What can people do to take action to solve this problem?

THANK DWIGHT.

You can read more about reducing stress, anxiety, and depression in a couple of books that you can find on my website, www.DrWalt.com. One is Fit over 50: Make Simple Choices for a Healthier, Happier You and the other is 10 Essentials of Happy, Healthy People: Becoming and staying highly healthy. Just go to DrWalt.com and click on the books tab.

Also, if you have concerns about your or your family’s health you’d like us to consider in future programs, just drop me an email at AskDrWalt@LiftableTV.com. One warning, I cannot answer specific questions about your individual health, but I bet you have plenty of great general questions to ask me, so send them in to AskDrWalt@LiftableTV.com, and we’ll get to as many as we can during future programs.

Until our next visit, let’s get moving together toward true health, and “Dear friend, I pray that you may enjoy good health and that all may go well with you, even as your soul is getting along well.”

Disclaimer: The “Ask Dr. Walt” show is designed for entertainment purposes to give information on various medical conditions, treatments, and procedures for your personal knowledge and to help you be a more informed consumer of medical and health services.

© Copyright WLL, INC. 2023. This blog provides healthcare tips and advice that you can trust about a wide variety of general health information only and is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment from your regular physician. If you are concerned about your health, take what you learn from this blog and meet with your personal doctor to discuss your concerns.