Holiday season can be difficult, stressful Published Nov. 18, 2004 By Crystal Lavadour 92nd Air Refueling Wing Public Affairs FAIRCHILD AIR FORCE BASE, Wash. (AFPN) -- The holiday season is supposed to be a time of fun, family and good food.“Holidays should be happy and joyful,” said Capt. Kimberly Newsom, chief of life skills support center at the 92nd Medical Group. “It should be a celebration of time spent with loved ones.”Unfortunately, with all of the pleasure that the season can bring, it can also be a very difficult time for some.Several things can make it more stressful: extra financial needs, family disagreements, deployments and dealing with the loss of a loved one.The easiest way to avoid financial stress is to make a detailed holiday budget and stick to it, Captain Newsom said. It is easy to overspend using credit cards.“It isn’t until you get the bill in the mail that you realize just how much you spent,” the captain said.She suggests shoppers leave the credit and debit cards at home and only take the amount of cash they have budgeted to keep from overspending.Another option is to make gifts.“Come to the health and wellness center for some great healthy recipes; make some treats and put them in a pretty tin,” Captain Newsom said.Homemade gifts can cost a lot less and be a great activity for families to do together, she said.Sometimes too much family togetherness can become a source of stress as well. Family disagreements can happen at big gatherings. If a fight starts, the best thing to do is to shift the attention away from the argument and on to something more pleasant, she said.Negativity can be contagious. Do not let an unhappy person suck everyone into his or her crankiness, Captain Newsom said.But what if it is family separation, such as a deployment, that causes the extra stress?“It’s the support system that carries people through deployments,” Captain Newsom said.Family members of deployed servicemembers have several avenues to find support. Seek others who are in the same situation, she said, maybe through the family support center or a unit’s key spouse.“You can include deployed members in your celebrations, even though they are not with you,” Captain Newsom said.She suggested getting the family together to write letters and gather items to send in a care package.Sometimes the holidays serve as a reminder of loved ones who have passed away, which can dampen the joy of the season. Captain Newsom said that it can help to talk with others who knew the deceased person.“Share memories, and don’t try to cover up the fact that you are missing them,” she said. “Suppressing feelings only makes it worse.”Do something special in remembrance such as holding a small service, observing a moment of silence or placing a wreath at a place of worship, Captain Newsom said.No matter where the stress stems from, people should not let the craziness of the season get in the way of their own good health, she said.Staying active is very important and can be especially difficult during the holiday season with all of the extra activities and the colder weather. Home exercise DVDs and videos are great option for people looking to get in some indoor exercise, Captain Newsom said.“Continue to take care of yourself,” she said. “Don’t let that go by the wayside.”