Coping with Holiday Stress

The holiday season is characteristically a time of joy, peace, and a time to gather with friends and family. Although this time of year is filled with happiness, it can also be a time of stress and sadness. You may feel overwhelmed with planning get togethers, scheduling time with friends and family, and finding the perfect gifts, all while managing your normal schedule. This can lead to feelings of irritability, sadness, anxiety and anger. It is important to identify what your expectations are for yourself and family during the holiday season. Are your expectations realistic? 

What can you do to help yourself cope with your stress during the holidays?

Schedule time with friends and family in advance so that you are aware of how to plan each day. Shop early and ask friends and family what they want for presents so that everything is ready and you aren't running around last minute. Manage your time: set priorities and let go of impossible goals that are unrealistic. Ask others to help out if you are feeling overwhelmed. Sometimes we just can't do it all. Don't feel inadequate if you can't do it all.

Maybe you are experiencing the holiday blues, which can be challenging and difficult to understand. You may expect yourself to feel happy all of the time and if you don't you may feel disappointed. Maybe you expect the holidays to be just as they were when you were a child. As we grow up, things change and it is important to find new value in the holidays. Practice mindfulness of being present in the moment and enjoy your time with friends and family. So often we just go through the motions and are thinking about your next gathering or things that you need to get ready and you forget to embrace the people you are with at that time. Practice gratitude: identify and remind yourself of all of the things you are thankful for. Sometimes when we are stressed or overwhelmed we forget all of the good things in our lives. If you are starting to feel depressed or lonely, volunteer at a local church or organization to give back to those that are in need and help you feel connected to others. 

Most importantly, as we all know, the holiday temptations of delicious family recipes can be overwhelming in itself. Try to limit overindulgences and maintain healthy eating and exercise routines to help you cope with stress, sadness and anxiety. Make sure that you make time for yourself and give yourself a break. Sometimes we just need to a take a time out to prevent burnout and reboot ourselves so that we are our best self. The holidays are a wonderful time and learning ways to cope with stress can help you enjoy this special time of year.

New Office Location in Oak Brook Terrace - Meet Our Staff

Life Balance Counseling has opened a second location in Oak Brook Terrace, IL. We have two wonderful counselors, Lauren Buetikofer, LPC and Lauren Fallon, LCSW practicing at our Oak Brook Terrace office with various availability. Lauren Buetikofer works with children, teens, adults and couples facing various challenges such as anxiety, depression, communication/relationship issues, eating disorders, emotional eating, obesity and weight loss. Lauren Fallon has been a school social worker for 8 years and enjoys working with children, teens, and adults experiencing ADD/ADHD, Autism, Anxiety, Depression, Bipolar, Fertility issues, Perinatal and Postpartum anxiety and mood disorders. We are so excited to be able to provide counseling services to the Lombard, Villa Park, Downers Grove, Elmhurst, Naperville, Lisle, Wheaton, and Glen Ellyn cities of Illinois. Please contact us with any questions at 888.234.7628. We look forward to seeing you at our new location!

Managing Your Anger

Anger is a normal emotion that most people experience from time to time. Anger is an emotional response when we feel frustrated, injustice, hurt, or fear and we can't seem to gain control. Feeling angry is not a problem, it is what you do to cope with your anger that can cause problems. Unhealthy ways people cope with anger may be screaming, punching the wall, saying hurtful things or worse. Anger needs to be managed so that it doesn't destroy your life or relationships.

Some helpful tips to help you manage your anger:

Become aware of anger triggers. What is causing you to feel angry? Is your anger masking other feelings such as sadness, shame, embarrassment, injustice? Identify the situation that makes your feel angry.

Change your thinking patterns. When you start to feel yourself become angry, STOP and take a moment to think about whether feeling angry or punching the wall will solve anything. Is being angry worth ruining your day? If you identify that your anger thoughts are not serving a purpose, reframe your thoughts with something more helpful.

Take a time out. Even adults need to take time out here and there. Take a moment to separate yourself from what is making you feel angry (person, situation, etc). Go for a walk, take some deep breaths, do something relaxing to help calm you down. It is important you learn to relax and find healthy ways to help you cope with anger.

Learn ways to Communicate effectively. It is important to be able to communicate your frustration and not take your anger out on others. Listen to what is behind your anger and communicate respectfully your thoughts and feelings without getting defensive.

Counselor in Schaumburg: Interview With Lana Rukavina, MA, LPC

Lana Rukavina is a Licensed Professional Counselor specializing in anxiety, depression, perinatal and postpartum anxiety and mood disorders, relationships, and sports performance. Lana understands that change may be extremely difficult and works with each client at their own pace to process and understand their concerns, as well as move towards becoming more self-aware and empowered as an individuals. 

To learn more about Lana Rukavina, we have conducted an interview to gain some additional perspective.

What do you enjoy about being a counselor?
I enjoy seeing growth in my clients throughout our sessions. Clients may come to me in a very bad and unstable place in their lives, but throughout our sessions, I can see them grow stronger, more aware, and eventually get to a much happier and healthier place. I enjoy being part of a positive and impactful change in my clients’ lives, and I love being a part of my clients’ journey to better mental health.

What specific issue(s) are you skilled at helping with?
I am skilled at assisting with a bunch of different issues, but I typically work with clients on issues relating to depression and anxiety. I also work with many couples on better communication and any issues that go on within a partnership. I am also skilled with assisting athletes on sport performance related issues.

What is my role as a counselor?
My role as a counselor is to help clients understand what is going on in their lives, as well as learn how to cope with issues and evolve from difficulties and barriers in their lives. My role is to work collaboratively with my clients to figure out the best course of treatment for their lives.

What is your view on the purpose of counseling?
I believe that people generally have a good grasp on their life and can deal with problems and adversity. However, sometimes people become stuck and need extra help to get back on track. That is the purpose of counseling-helping people isolate what is making them feel “stuck” in life, as well as what they can do to get back on track.

How have your own life struggles helped you become the counselor you are today?
Everyone goes through unique struggles in life that shape who they become and how they think and view life. Mine have made me more aware of my surroundings as well as how people operate and function. From an early age, I was interested in what made people “tick,” and through my own struggles I have learned more and more what people need and how to help people get to where they want to be.

What is your counseling focus?
My counseling focus is on creating a collaborative and trusting relationship with my clients. The more open and trusting a relationship we build, the greater the opportunity for growth and awareness. Therapy is not a “one size fits all” process, and I believe in tailoring my therapeutic approach to each client’s individual and unique needs.

To learn more about Lana Rukavina or Life Balance Counseling please visit our website at www.lbcounseling.com. If you are interested in scheduling an appointment with Lana, please call 888.234.7628, ext. 4 or send an email to lana@lbcounseling.com