The holiday season can be a joyous, yet stressful time, and an expert shares advice on ways to handle it.

Dallas County Health Department’s Community Health Educator Natalie Peters tells Raccoon Valley Radio that there’s a variety of stress around this time of year, specifically with busy schedules, financial struggles, and grief of losing loved ones to name a few. She describes that these stressors can lead to sleep deprivation, fatigue, or loneliness. Peters list common practices to try is prioritizing an appropriate amount of sleep, eating nutritious meals, and exercising regularly. She says those methods are good to start out with, but elaborates on additional ways to balance stress levels.

“You can also try practicing saying ‘no’ to gathering events if you feel overbooked or you just don’t want to participate, setting a budget and sticking to it, setting boundaries for your space and time with loved ones ahead of time, ahead of the holidays. Honoring loved ones who have passed by continuing traditions and sharing your feelings of grief with other friends and family, and then remember that you don’t have to do it all perfectly.”

Peters recommends that if people are hosting for the holidays, they should assign tasks to other family members as a way to take pressure off of themselves, but all in all just remember what the holiday season is about. Peters notes that if people still feel stressed past the holidays, then they should speak with a primary care or mental health provider.