Coping with the Holidays

Ready or not, the holiday season is officially here. For many, it's a time for family, friends and good food. But, the older we get, the more stress we feel. KOTV's medical reporter Kim Graham

Saturday, November 25th 2000, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

Ready or not, the holiday season is officially here. For many, it's a time for family, friends and good food. But, the older we get, the more stress we feel. KOTV's medical reporter Kim Graham has some tips for coping with the demands of the holidays.

For children, the only holiday stress they seem to face is which toy they want Santa to leave under the tree. Whether they're naughty or nice, the big guy does his best to leave something. But as we age, the gift list grows, the money and responsibility add up.

But early birds Friday seemed to take it all in stride. "With five kids you got to get some kind of organization. This is the first year I have shopped the day after Thanksgiving sales and itâ€™s really a whole lot of fun. Happy Thanksgiving." "This is the first year she has wanted to come. I was the first one up this morning." But we still have a little more than a month to go, and experts say the season is harder on some than others.

Dr. Steven Harnish with Laureate Psychiatric Clinic and Hospital says "we have time constraints, we have financial constraints, we also have that emotional desire to make sure that everything is just right and we have that picture perfect holiday season." And that can be especially difficult on older adults who want to do more, but can't. They may not be able to get out and shop, fix a holiday meal or visit family or friends.

Dr. Insung Kim with University of Oklahoma College of Medicine, "I think it would be very nice to invite an older person to your home. Or at least take some food over, or give them a call to see how they are doing. Another concern is that when you have an older person who has memory problems or gait problems who prone to falls there are some things you need to be aware of. For instance, make sure the person is oriented to the new surroundings, show them where everything is. If there are lots of children around try to keep the noise to an acceptable level. And make sure all throw rugs and toys are out of the way to reduce the risk of falls."

But experts offer this advice for everyone. Dr. Harnish says "the best thing we can do is to limit our activities and I consider ration out time. We have to be careful that we don't overextend ourselves. That we chose those things we know we have time for and know we have the money for." And hopefully, that will make the holidays merrier for all of us.