SWNYSTRESS By Zoya Gervis
New York office - 646-873-7565 / usnews@swns.com
NEWS COPY - WITH VIDEO & INFOGRAPHIC
While the holidays are synonymous with peace, love and joy for many Americans who celebrate, the holiday season is actually filled with physical and emotional discomfort.
In fact, 88 percent feel stressed when celebrating the holidays and the average couple will have seven arguments throughout the season, according to new research.
A study of 2,000 Americans examined the potential barriers to a harmonious and stress-free holiday and the topics and instances that often lead to the most stress and arguments, or ‘festive fallouts’ during the season.
Results revealed that working out where to spend the holidays (35 percent) and how much money to spend on gifts (31 percent) are most likely to spark a squabble.
The study, which was conducted by OnePoll and commissioned by Omeprazole Orally Disintegrating Tablets, saw the top five things most likely to cause friction during the holidays rounded out with arguments over whose family to visit (29 percent), who cleans up (27 percent) and who cooks the holiday dinner (24 percent).
The survey also found that more than fifteen percent admit that participating in conversation with family and friends stresses them out. Fifty-six percent admit they have to bite their lip during the holidays to avoid arguments, and 64 percent report having certain conversations that are just off-limits.
The list of conversation topics to avoid was topped by politics (68 percent), followed by delving too deeply into someone’s personal life (55 percent) and religion (47 percent).
The inevitable arguments with family aren’t the only thing we dread about the holiday season though.
Holiday stress seeps into many aspects of the season, including purchasing presents (39 percent), how much to spend (38 percent), prepping the house for guests (28 percent) and cleaning before and after gatherings (27 percent).
And almost half of respondents (47 percent) report being filled with dread when thinking of the amount of money they’ll spend around the holidays.
And three in 10 are stressed by cooking holiday dinner, though that doesn’t stop people from overindulging.
Spokesperson for Omeprazole stated: “From overeating to stressful activities, it’s no surprise that the holiday season can trigger heartburn,” said Michael Bachman, Marketing Director at Perrigo. “Luckily for frequent heartburn sufferers, store brand Omeprazole ODT is the first-of-its-kind dosage form.
"Our holiday gift to heartburn sufferers is a melt-in-your-mouth, more enjoyable way to treat your heartburn. Get back to enjoying the most wonderful time of year with a side of cranberry sauce, not heartburn.”
A whopping 85 percent admit to overeating during the holidays, with nearly two thirds feeling physically uncomfortable after eating a holiday meal.
In fact, 42 percent have had to unbutton their pants after a meal.
Nearly half of respondents (49 percent) confess they choose their holiday clothing based on what they plan on eating, with loose-fitting clothes (54 percent) and stretchy pants (39 percent) among the most popular fashion choices.
“It’s no secret that our ever-growing to-do lists, disagreements with loved ones and the pressure we place on ourselves to make the holidays great can all heighten stress and cause us to overeat—both triggers for heartburn,” explains family therapist and author, Tom Kersting.
“Small changes like meditation, lowering our overall expectations, keeping Omeprazole ODT on hand and removing unnecessary items from our checklist can go a long way in alleviating the strain and allowing us to enjoy the season, and its foods, to the fullest.”
It’s not all negative though – 82 percent of Americans report having “holiday spirit.”When it comes to the holidays, results reveal that the most important parts are spending quality time with loved ones (82 percent), giving gifts to loved ones (56 percent) and being able to relax and recuperate (53 percent).
And with holiday spirit comes good cheer – 65 percent report being more social over the holidays, going to an average of five parties during the season.