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John Hollenhorst Reporting Are you feeling a little bit stressed? Well, welcome to the club!
A new survey says a lot of us get plenty stressed by the holiday season.
Can you guess the busiest time for stress therapists? Not December--it's January, February and March. Stressed-out people evidently put on a happy face to get through the holidays, and then seek help for their stress later when they finally have time.
You know the feeling: too much shopping, too little time, some days just too many others to please.
Cheryl Kincaid, Park City Resident: "Today, when I'm on my mission for the kids, to find the special gift."
Lana Stohl, Valley Mental Health: "Most of us experience the holiday stress "
Lana Stohl of Valley Mental Health says the holiday stress button gets pushed partly by the pace. "You feel sometimes like you're a little gerbil, in one of those little cages running around and around."
Karen Husband, Sandy Resident: "This year I'm not stressing because we're not doing gifts. We're going on a vacation."
WHY WE HAVE HOLIDAY STRESS
Finances 40%
Memories of Lost Loved Ones 37%
Too Much To Do 34%
But a new survey by Mental Health America puts the holiday rat-race in third place. Even bigger stress factors are finances, causing holiday stress for 40 percent of the population. The second biggest stress factor is the memory of lost loved ones. Some people, though, thrive on Christmas without stress.
John Chatterley, Kanab Resident: "Oh, beautiful time! The rest of the year is all stressful."
WHO FEELS THE HOLIDAY STRESS
Latinos 39%
Native Americans 37%
Non-Hispanic Whites 29%
Who gets stressed? Latinos report the highest levels, 40 percent, followed by Native-Americans. Whites report significantly less.
WHO GETS HOLIDAY STRESS THE MOST?
Parents
Women
No College Degree
Parents get it worse than those without kids, women slightly more than men. People with college degrees get it less than those without college. Stohl says getting through college may strengthen coping skills that help people gauge the demands of the holidays.
Lana Stohl, valley mental health: "How do I back off and say 'not this year. It was just too much last year', setting a budget for yourself so that you're not overspending for the holidays."
She says the biggest problem is unrealistic expectations. Since childhood we've been trained to believe that Christmas is perfect, Santa Clause will bring us everything we want, everyone will be happy. It's stressful when that turns out to be a childhood fantasy.
