You know how holiday stress can build up – all of the expectations that come along with the holiday season can make you very glad that it only comes along once a year.

Holiday stress comes along in both big and little ways:

• You’re expected to entertain family and friends that you haven’t seen since the year before (some of whom you could go a few more years without seeing, given the chance).
• Your children and your nieces and nephews all want every toy that is advertised on TV, whether they know what it does or not.
• The children all think you’re Santa, and you begin to wish you has a sleigh and a thousand elves to help you, instead of a Honda and your spouse who hates shopping more than you do.
• You spend far more than you had planned, vaguely aware of the mound of debt you’ll have to pay off after the tree is down and the eggnog has been thrown out.
• You eat far more than you had planned, painfully aware of the extra weight that you will have to work off after the last of the leftovers have been eaten.

Getting Through the Merry Season Without Losing Your Mind

Here are some holiday stress tips to help you get through the season:

1. Do as much of your shopping as possible online. You’ll save many hours of driving around from store to store, stuck in holiday traffic, and fighting crowds in the store aisles. Many online stores offer free shipping around the holidays, so take advantage of it without stressing yourself out.

2. Spread out the entertainment obligations with your family and friends. Even if your house has an entertainment room the size of the Superdome, there is no reason you should have to host all of the holiday parties. Ask your family and friends to share the responsibilities, so you can limit your tasks to bringing a covered dish and getting your children to wear clean clothes.

3. Get started early. One of the best holiday stress tips is to start your shopping and planning well before the garland goes up at your local superstore. Having the majority of your shopping done before Thanksgiving will make your holidays go a lot more smoothly. (Easier said than done!)

4. Set a holiday budget and stick to it. Decide how much you’ll spend before you start shopping. Make sure you have the money to pay off your credit cards after the holidays, or use a debit card instead. That way you won’t have to endure the shock that comes with your January credit card statements.

5. Focus on eating healthy food alternatives at your holiday parties. Cakes, pies, and eggnog are all strong temptations during the holidays, but if you can balance these with fat free dips and crudités, you’ll have to put in a lot fewer hours at the gym after the presents have been unwrapped.

For more tips for minimizing holiday stress, check out Holiday Stress Tips and Top 7 Reasons Why You Need to Manage Your Stress Now, Before the Holidays.