As the festive season approaches it's easy to get caught up in the fun and excitement of Christmas. But for many people, buying gifts, going to parties, cooking Christmas lunch, financial pressures and family expectations, just makes this a time of anxiety and stress. It doesn't have to be like this! There are steps you can take to help manage stress and anxiety during the festive period.

Plan and prioritise

• Acknowledge and accept feeling anxious and overwhelmed. This doesn't mean you have to resign yourself to a difficult, stressful time. Instead, simply stop to acknowledge to yourself and how wound up you're getting. Accept that you feel like this.
• Once you've accepted and acknowledged your stress and anxiety, identify what, exactly, are the things that stress you out and make you feel anxious. Write them down.
• Use a 'beginners mind' approach; ask yourself what you would do if you could start over? If you could choose in terms of money, time, resources or the people involved with Christmas this year. What options would you have? Be realistic!
• Prioritise; work out what the most important things are that you need to buy and do. Buy presents for the kids? See your parents? Ok, then focus on those two important things and just add a couple more commitments - making Christmas lunch and seeing friends on Boxing day, for example. Let go of what's not important.
• Buying gifts and attending social get togethers can be expensive. But you can reduce spending. For example, you could suggest to your family and friends that you only buy gifts for the kids, or organise a 'Secret Santa' among the adults. Set a budget and stick to it.
• And if you can't afford expensive Christmas meals out, party at home and ask everyone to bring some festive food and drink.