The holiday season can be a busy and stressful time. Add in a cancer diagnosis and the rigors of treatment, and the anxiety levels can spike. “Many of our patients are fatigued and could be experiencing joint pain and they may be too tired to do all the things they did in past years – that can create stress and anxiety and even increased levels of depression,” says Sharla Wells-Di Gregorio, PhD, a clinical psychologist and member of the psychosocial oncology team of The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center – James Cancer Hospital and Solove Research Institute (OSUCCC – James). Wells-Di Gregorio – also an assistant professor of psychiatry, psychology and internal medicine, as well as a clinical psychologist – has a great deal of experience working with oncology patients, helping them work through their anxiety, fears, depression, insomnia and pain. “These issues can be even more prevalent during the holiday season, and we do see an uptick in requests for counseling sessions in November and December,” she says. Here are some of Wells-Di Gregorio’s tips for dealing with holiday stress using practical techniques developed during her work with patients at the OSUCCC – James: “No” is OK “Being able to say no is a useful skill, [but] that can be a challenge for many people. Sometimes, family members don’t understand what’s going on. The patient may look and seem fine, so it can be hard to understand that they’re fatigued and may be in pain and could be struggling. It’s important for the patient to speak up.” Don’t hesitate to delegate “It’s important to have a point person communicating with family and friends what’s going on so they’re not getting too many calls and requests and invitations (social media channels and CaringBridge can help with this communication).” Score with four “The ‘Four Gift Rule’ (a gift that someone wants, something they need, something to wear and something to read) is a great way to help parents navigate gift-giving for their children. It’s also a useful way to manage the financial stresses of the holidays that come in addition to medical costs.” Invited to a large party? Shrink it down! “Arrive before everyone else and spend some quality and quiet time with a smaller group of people. Make sure to let them know in advance that they may need to leave early [if the experience becomes overwhelming].” Psychosocial oncology services at The James “We utilize several therapies to help patients work through the depression, anxiety, insomnia and pain they’re often dealing with, [helping them] learn how to take care of themselves in a new and different way and to disconnect from some of the thoughts and behaviors that are no longer helpful to them.” “The first step is to talk to your oncologist or someone on your oncology team and ask them about our psychosocial oncology program.” Learn more about psychosocial services at The James.