Managing Stress

Managing Stress

The trick to managing stress is to prevent it from happening in the first place. When that’s not possible, extending grace toward yourself and others can go a long way to manage stress, says Dr. John Budin, a physician who also lives with bipolar disorder.

“There are many things ‘to do’ that can be helpful in coping with stress,” Budin said. “But remember, we aren’t human doings, we are human beings. In the midst of all the ‘doing’ remember to just ‘be.’ Use the holidays as a time to reaffirm your journey toward your authentic, better self by practicing compassion and kindness, and accepting human imperfection.”

If the holiday season has taken an emotional toll on you in the past, try to:

Acknowledge your feelings. If someone close to you has recently died or you can’t be with loved ones for other reasons, understand it’s normal to feel sadness or grief. Allow yourself t...