Mastering the Holidays: Cognitive Behavioral Tips and Tools
youtu.be
Dr. Dawn-Elise Snipes provides valuable tips and strategies for managing holiday stress. She introduces the PACER method, which stands for physical, affective, cognitive, environmental, and relational, as an integrative behavioral health approach to understanding how our mind, body, and environment interact. Dr. Snipes focuses on the physical aspect of holiday stress using the mnemonic device "NICE," which stands for nutrition, moderate sodium intake, eating healthfully, and avoiding excessive stimulant intake. She emphasizes the importance of maintaining stable blood sugar levels, incorporating healthy eating habits, and avoiding excessive sodium and stimulant intake.
Dr. Snipes also addresses the affective and cognitive aspects of holiday stress using the mnemonic device "PHASED." She provides tools for dealing with grief, depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) during the holidays. She suggests shifting the focus to what one does have, recalling happy memories, and acknowledging the challenges of depression and PTSD. Dr. Snipes also discusses triggers and challenges individuals may face during the holiday season, such as past traumatic events and isolation. She introduces the concept of hardiness, which involves commitment, control, and challenge, as a way to navigate these challenges.
Furthermore, Dr. Snipes discusses anxiety and anger as common distress feelings during the holidays. She provides strategies for addressing anxiety, such as using the FCP tool (facts, control, and probability) and developing self-esteem. To manage anger, she advises identifying triggers and warning signs, practicing psychological flexibility, and focusing on goal-directed energy.
Dr. Snipes also addresses strategies for managing environmental and relational aspects of holiday stress. She emphasizes the importance of creating a sense of safety, taking breaks, and communicating boundaries. She provides techniques for handling criticism and suggests finding alternative explanations and viewing criticism as coming from a place of love or concern.
Overall, Dr. Snipes offers a comprehensive approach to managing holiday stress, covering various dimensions and providing practical strategies for individuals to implement.
Dr. Dawn-Elise Snipes provides valuable tips and strategies for managing holiday stress. She introdu