Daris Lancaster Stojakovich: Hi! I am Daris Lancaster Stojakovich. I am a Clinical Hypnotherapist and Life Coach. Today I am here to talk about holiday stress and to offer some tips and suggestions to make your holidays less stressful.

So what is holiday stress? Stress by definition is emotional and mental strain or spins, but with the holidays stress almost defy its definition because what can be stressful for one person is not stressful for another. Lets take for example, the holiday shopping crowds. Each year we have these holiday shopping crowds weeks back we know that they're there. One person might find that being a part of that crowd is something that exhilarates and even excites and motivates them, while another person could find out that same crowd as a source of frustration, of confusion, makes them feel even anxious.

So whats the difference between the crowds? The only thing thats change is the attitude. So a lot of our holiday stress is actually our attitude, our negativity and our expectations of it. What are some of the symptoms of holiday stress? Well, some of the symptoms of holiday stress, just like any other time of the year, can be headache, nervousness, irritability, sleeplessness, indigestion or digestive upset, things like feeling like you are impatient, have low morale and also mental confusions. You can be aware of what your stresses are to help eliminate stress for yourself. Being aware of your triggers, being aware of your likes and dislikes and with some careful planning and some management techniques, you can really reduce the stress that you are feeling and make the holidays a really wonderful, pleasant time of year.

Its also important to note that stress during a holiday season can actually suppress the immune system. It was once though in the good old days that a cold was caused by cold weather, hence the name, but they found through studies that its actually our immune system that becomes depressed during times of high stress.

As a Clinical Hypnotherapist and Neuro-Linguistic Programming Life Coach, I help others succeed in their lives through the power of their own minds. After working in the corporate world for 12 years, I decided to start my own practice in 2004. I am certified by the American Board of Hypnotherapy as well as the National Guild of Hypnotists. So lets get started and I will show you how to handle holiday stress.