FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) — People lined up outside of Target in River Park early Friday morning. Not only looking to shop but to snag the best deals.<\/p>\n
“I really need new AirPods. The AirPods are on sale,” said Destiny Real of Fresno. “The Beats headphones are on sale. I’m also looking for the Ninja slushie machine.”<\/p>\n
It’s a sign that the holidays are now here. While this should be a cheerful time, it can also be stressful.<\/p>\n
“This can also be a time of really high expectations,” said Coraline Robinson, a licensed Family and Marriage Therapist with Balance Treatment Center. “When we have high expectations, what happens? Well, they can only go down, right?”<\/p>\n
The American Psychiatric Association says that last year, 28% of Americans experienced more holiday-related stress. Top stressors included gift buying, family dynamics, and grief.<\/p>\n
Experts say setting boundaries and taking breaks can help.<\/p>\n
“Taking a few deep breaths, finding a private room,” said Robinson, “It’s really important when we’re under stress with our families.”<\/p>\n
Robinson says a good workout can also calm the nerves, which can help before a big gathering.<\/p>\n
“We want to depress our nervous systems,” said Robinson. “We want to ramp it up so high with exercise that by the time we go into the event with our family or friends, we’re calm, we’re tired, and our nervous system is kind of worn out.”<\/p>\n
Robinson adds that watching what we eat and drink can help with our stress levels, which includes monitoring our alcohol and sugar intake.<\/p>\n
When it comes to holiday spending stress, Robinson has this advice.<\/p>\n
“There’s going to be a lot of pushing, marketing, different things online right now,” said Robinson. “It’s good to take a break and lose yourself in an audiobook, in a podcast.”<\/p>\n
Experts say it’s okay to take a step back from the holiday hustle and to give yourself some grace.<\/p>\n
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