Dealing with Holiday Stress and Anxiety? These Pro Tips Will Help

The holidays can feel notably stressful for all kinds of reasons. All of a sudden, you've got way more items to check off on your to-do list and there's a heightened sense of meeting expectations (your own or others').

"Any tendency we have toward 'people pleasing' is exacerbated and amplified [during the holidays]," says Kate Judd, counselor and program director at Shoreline Recovery Center.

In other words, we've got the weight of creating "the perfect holiday" on our shoulders, and it's a heavy load to bear. Dr. Margaret Cochran, a psychotherapist and licensed clinical social worker, adds that there might be some underlying family drama that rears its head this time of year.

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