Ah, Christmas. . .  Joy to the world, peace on earth, blahblahblah. For some, the Hallmark card fantasy of the perfect family Christmas is nigh impossible to achieve without the accompanying requisite levels of artery-clogging stress and anxiety by the time the New Year arrives.  As Michele Meyer writes in Heart Healthy Living this month: “Whether your family resembles the Waltons or the Sopranos, few family gatherings are without potential for unspoken tensions. 

“Both unresolved resentment and anxious anticipation of conflict can harm your heart by spiking anger and depression,” psychologist Dr. Susan Heitler told Meyer. “The higher the level of emotional arousal, the more stress on your heart.”

And if you’re sometimes tempted to just skip Christmas and go straight to Mother’s Day, consider some of these stress-busting tips this year from Toronto author Susan Stern (Awakening Your Life Skills) who says that we should all start a plan in advance for de-stressing the holiday season as much as possible.   For example:  (more…)