Anxiety is the most common mental disorder in the United States. University of Miami researchers share ways to mitigate it during the holiday season.

When Jeevan Mann, now a professional research assistant at University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, was diagnosed with an ultra-rare form of the Ehlers-Danlos Syndromes (EDS) in his late teens, he immediately tried to learn more about his connective tissue disorder. There weren’t many resources for EDS patients (or for clinical providers and scientists) at that point, but one expert whose counsel he came to value was Linda Bluestein, MD, who hosts The Bendy Bodies Podcast. Mann himself became a guest on the podcast recently. Mann has overcome numerous health challenges throughout his educational career, graduating in just 2 ½ years from University of California - Davis and completing internships with the Gates Summer Internship Program (GSIP) in 2023 and 2024.

Whether it’s overeating, catching an illness or feeling stress or sheer exhaustion, a busy calendar of holiday festivities can take a toll on health, says Safia Debar, MBBS, a general practitioner and stress management expert at Mayo Clinic Healthcare in London. In this expert alert, Dr. Debar answers common questions and offers tips to help you power through holiday gatherings in good health.