The holidays are supposed to be a wonderful and joyous time but for so many of us they are a time of stress. Unfortunately, the stress we experience during the holidays sets up a vicious cycle. We experience the worry and stress that is so common and then we feel stressed because we believe we should feel good during the holidays, not worried or anxious- and that only increases our levels of stress!How do we deal with this? Here are some simple tips for keeping stress in check:

First and foremost- be realistic about the holidays. The holidays don’t’ have to be perfect to be joyous. There will be good times and bad times.

It’s o.k. to experience negative feeling during the holidays. Feeling bad doesn’t mean the holidays are ruined.

Take care of yourself during the holidays. You need to eat right, sleep, and exercise. You must make time for yourself.

Prioritize your activities. Write down on a piece of paper everything you think you need to do for the holidays. Then read the list out loud. Is the list of tasks reasonable?” If you answer is no- then start crossing things off.

We all want the holidays to be a joyous time. By having realistic expectations and not overextending, you will keep your stress levels in check.