Breathe Magazine

We know. Every time you hear that song “It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year” as you’re walking through a department store in December, you cringe. Bah-humbug. The most stressful time of the year, you think to yourself.

Stress not only makes the season miserable, it also can take its toll on your health. According to recent studies, unmanaged stress can cause high blood pressure, diabetes, heart disease, insomnia and depression. Plus, overanxious people are more likely to catch the common cold when exposed to the virus—not fun over the holidays.

The point isn’t to eliminate stress completely from your life (researchers haven’t found that magic pill yet), but to learn how to manage it. “At the end of October, it begins,” says  Dr. Kathleen Hall, founder and CEO of the Stress Institute in Atlanta. “We all say to ourselves, ‘This holiday will be different. I’ll bake cookies, and lose 10 pounds to get into my New Year’s dress and I’ll buy the perfect gifts for everyone.’ It all boils down to learning to say yes and no—and when to say each.” Here’s a cheat sheet to help put the “wonderful” back in this time of the year.

say yes to:

• A family meeting.
“The first week or November sit down with your husband and kids (if you have them) and map out your priorities for the season,” says Hall. Are you going to make cookies? Have a party? Who are you buying gifts for? Sending cards to? Where are you going to spend the holidays? “Write down the plan and put it up on the wall. If everyone’s on the same page, then no one can complain.”

• Collaborating with neighbors.
“You don’t have to throw a party by yourself,” says Hall. “Share the burden of responsibility by asking a few neighbors to pitch in. Who knows? You might forge a relationship on other activities like carpooling and childcare.”

• Volunteering.
“People who help others get what I call a ‘helper’s high,’” says Hall. It’s free and you’ll feel better about yourself and the meaning of the season.

say no to:

• Things you don’t have the time or energy to do.
“When people ask you to do things over the holiday, refer back to your family list,” says Hall. “Did you agree to only go to three holiday parties this year? When you get the fourth invite, turn it down. “

• Losing weight.
“Women particularly stress out about holiday weight gain,” says Hall. “The holidays are all about sharing food with friends and family. Don’t deprive yourself and don’t make yourself feel guilty for having an extra cookie.”

• Spending too much money.
Seventy-five percent of Americans overspend during the holidays and end up paying for it in January. “Set a budget in your family meeting and stick to it,” says Hall. “Don’t buy presents on a whim if they’re not on your list.”

Eat up!

Food packed with omega-3s and B6 vitamins combat stress, according to recent studies. Fill your fridge (and your belly) with fatty fish like salmon and tuna and leafy green vegetables like turnip greens and spinach to help keep you cool as a cucumber all season long.

Colleen Oakley is a freelance writer and avid traveler based in Atlanta, GA. Her work has appeared in Marie Claire, Women’s Health, Fitness, Shape and Redbook. She is currently penning her first novel.