The holidays can be a stressful time. TV commercials may depict how wonderful it is for families to be together–laughing, drinking and having a good time. But the reality for many people during the holidays is very different. Here are some practical guidelines to help you through the upcoming months of joy, peace and stress.
1. People often feel overwhelmed during the holiday season. Social gatherings, gifts and family often all come together and this can be stressful because people feel pressured to do a number of things that they do not …

It comes as no surprise. As the gloomy economic news mounts and more and more Americans find themselves unemployed or underemployed, stress is on the rise. The number of respondents who reported that the economy is causing significant stress jumped from 66 percent a year ago to 80 percent last September, according to the American Psychological Association. Calls to the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline surged from 39,465 in January 2008 to 50,158 this past January.

In a recent New York Times poll, 70 percent of respondents worry that a member of their household will become jobless. A vast majority say they’re convinced the recession will last another year or more.

Researchers have long assumed that inheritance plays the biggest role in visible signs of aging. If your mother or father looks youthful well into middle age, chances are you will, too. Not necessarily, a new study suggests.

I started yoga a year ago, when we brought a yoga instructor here to the workplace for a lunch-hour class. I have done aerobics and strength training in the past, but yoga was new to me. I really enjoy it, even though I’m still very much a beginner. The class is very low-key and I’m not pressured to do anything more than what I’m comfortable with.

Within just a few class periods I could tell my balance was better and my flexibility had increased. And they’ve continued to improve. Another benefit to yoga – and any other type of exercise – is stress reduction. I find I am able to control my hunger better when I control my stress level, and that happens far more often on the yoga days. I plan to continue both yoga class and the walking I am doing with my co-workers.

I’m also managing to control my weight.