Top five tips on handling holiday stress

University of Phoenix psychology experts recently spoke about dealing with the stresses of the holiday season to encourage happy holidays. As people prepare for holiday meals, shopping, family gatherings and other holiday activities, stress can take over and make it very difficult to enjoy this special time. University of Phoenix instructors provided tips on how to prepare for this holiday season. Their top five tips to handle holiday stress are:

1. Keep it real: Making assumptions on how great or badly the holidays will turn out only sets you up for failure. Realize that the holidays come with a certain amount of stress and that things will not always be as perfect as you want them to be.

2. Find the exit: Don’t feel that you have to stay with your extended family members throughout the entire holiday. Know your family’s limitations, if all they can stand is one or two hours with the extended family, then respect those limitations and don’t be afraid to leave early.

3. Find the good in others: While it may be easy to blame family members for their “bad” attitudes, use the holidays as a time to remember the acceptance of others. Think about all the good things that each relative brings to the holidays.

4. It’s a team effort: Talk with your family beforehand and make a game plan. Designate who is going to cook, who will clean up, who is buying the gifts, etc. Also, know that no one person will be at fault for a “good” or “bad” holiday.

5. Remember, it’s temporary: While you may find your stress levels rising to a boiling point, embrace the holiday season as a joyful time and celebrate the time you have with family and friends. Think about the true meaning of the holidays, not the food, gifts and material things.