Holiday stress weighs heavy for some; author shares tips to ease anxiety

LELAND, NC (WWAY) — For some folks, it’s hard to see the light in the holiday season. 

Some feel overwhelmed by the psychological stress of shopping, traveling, and reuniting with friends and loved ones. 

What can you do when feeling anxious? 

Author Owen Marcus, who wrote “Grow up: A Man’s Guide to Emotional Intelligence” says, listen to the signals of your body. 

“Take an easy, deep breath, particularly exhale a little longer than you would inhale. Drop your shoulders, anything you can do to relax your body is going to relax your mind. And relax your reactionary behavior, and give you more tolerance for any stress,” Marcus said. 

Marcus offers another tip to battle the blues, find some time to be alone. Solitude, he says is a great time to reset yourself.