Central California Alliance for Health | Living Healthy | December 2017

The holidays are an exciting time of the year, but they can also be stressful for everyone. There are many triggers that can cause stress, such as family disagreements, feeling like you need to be perfect, travel, work, school schedules and, of course, money. There are some things you can do to prepare for the holidays and prevent feeling stressed out. ■  ■ Take care of yourself. The way you feel and how you show those feelings, good or bad, will impact the rest of the family. ■  ■ Accept that the holidays will be busy. The same things that stressed you out last year will likely show up again, but if you plan ahead, you will be able to get things done without feeling stressed. ■  ■ Make a plan. Write down what you expect from the holidays and what you think your family expects. Ask your loved ones to do the same. You may be surprised by their answers. ■  ■ Manage time. Shop in advance, stock up on goodies and throw out the junk mail. Plan for at least one activity that you will enjoy, and be ready to say no to the things you don’t enjoy. ■  ■ Cut down on cards and gifts. Sometimes the best gift you can give a friend is not having the expectation of sending a card or giving a present. ■  ■ Set aside time to relax every day, and allow yourself the sleep you need to enjoy the holidays. Keep in mind that the holidays can be hard for everyone, but planning ahead can lead to a joyful time. Family arguments may happen over the holidays, even with the positive holiday spirit. Try to let the little things go and focus on the good times. Did you know that almost half of all American adults find it hard to use everyday health information given at health care facilities, by the media and in their communities? Studies show that nearly 9 out of 10 adults may lack the skills needed to manage their health and prevent disease. To help members communicate better with their doctors and us, the Alliance provides interpreting services and translation of written member information at no cost. Members can ask for: ■  ■ A trained sign language interpreter ■  ■ A trained language interpreter ■  ■ Written information in Braille, large print or audio format ■  ■ Information written in a language they can understand wellness Alliance Language Assistance Services Tips to prevent holiday stress   IF YOU NEED HELP OR HAVE QUESTIONS about the Alliance Language Assistance Services, call the Alliance Member Services Department at 1-800-700‑3874 . For the Hearing or Speech Assistance Line, call 1-800-735-2929 (TTY: Dial 7-1-1 ). living healthy 6