Spending money, one of biggest holiday stresses

Pharma Dynamics, one of South Africa's distributors of central nervous system (CNS) medication, commissioned a poll among 500 South Africans across various walks of life, age and gender groups. The survey was conducted by market research specialists Leelyn Management, and sought to identify the most common sources of stress during the holidays.

The survey revealed that seasonal expenses are by far the biggest source of holiday stress for 92% of people, and that women are more likely than men to worry about finances. Securing the house before going away on holiday was rated as the second most stressful activity by 85% of respondents and 72% cited memories of loved ones who passed away as the third most common source of stress. Interestingly, 90% of those polled, listed having sex as the least stressful activity, which supports the notion that more sex means less stress.

Cuddle your partner and relieve the stress

Mariska Fouché, spokesperson for Pharma Dynamics, says various clinical studies have shown that when holding your partner's hand, couples show a significantly reduced stress response in the brain. "Kissing and hugging also alleviates daily anxiety. Cuddling couples report much lower stress and depression levels than their unaffectionate counterparts, and pairs who smooch a lot are eight times less likely to be tense or depressed," says Fouché.

According to the poll, 46% rated the additional pressure of hosting and accommodating family, along with Christmas shopping (42%), among the major contributors of holiday stress. Spending downtime with friends and family (69%) and enjoying the great outdoors (68%) were noted among the most stress-free holiday activities.

Some people find holiday season challenging

"The holiday season," says Fouché, "is a time of joy, cheer and parties, but to many, it is also a very challenging time of year. People who regularly have high levels of overall stress are most likely to feel stress specific to the holidays. Being aware of stressors and taking steps towards managing them is essential to making the holiday season less stressful."

"Stress from the ailing economy and the increasing cost of living can leave one especially vulnerable to increased anxiety during the holidays. It is normal to feel overwhelmed during the festive season and the pressure to have the perfect holiday can be extraordinary. My advice to people is to pay attention to what causes their stress and to find healthy ways of managing it," Fouché concludes.