(CNN) -- Traveling plus shopping plus holiday get-togethers... add it all together and it can equal one word: stress! Carl Azuz takes a look at simple steps you can take to help manage it all.
The holidays can be busy. there are gifts to buy, cookies to bake, decorating to be done -- and then there's the stress of it all.
"Most of the stressors that we see during the holidays are people getting really excited and over-committing themselves," explains registered dietitian Julie Schwartz.
That could be with money or your time juggling the job and fighting mall traffic. But there are things you can do to make your holidays bright and merry.
"One is manage expectations. We tend to go in, expecting it to be this great, joyous occasion and it is, but at the same time, there's also some disappointment there if you think it's all going to be just wonderful and joyous," said Schwartz.
Also, try to stick to what you usually do.
"Eat on a normal schedule, go to sleep on a normal schedule, and try to manage that sleep routine. Pre-sleep routine, so that you're sleeping more restfully," said Schwartz.
That goes for the gym, too. Don't skip workouts; work that stress off. And finally:
"It's really about prioritizing what's special about the season, and making sure that that fits into your day and then there's a lot of things that we just do, some of them if they don't get done, nobody is even going to notice they're missing," said Schwartz.
All good tips to help you relax and enjoy the season.
