The holiday season is one of the most stressful times of the year.  From preparing huge family feasts for Thanksgiving to hustling and bustling to get all of the holidays deals for the perfect presents, the holidays can be extremely stressful. Luckily, there are some helpful holiday How To’s that will makes this season delightful.

How To #1: Remember to Take a Breath

Making large dinners can be very stressful and can even take all day long to prepare. However, it’s good to take some time to relax and enjoy the day before things get out of hand.

Senior Holly Smith knows all about preparing family dinners, and said that, “ I usually get overwhelmed during Thanksgiving because I have a fairly large family, so it can get chaotic really fast. This year to calm my anxiety down, I had a pre- Thanksgiving and took myself to the bakery and ate pie.”

If you’re the type that stresses out over holidays, take a breather and have some time to cool you will make it through the holiday season.

How To #2: Organization leads to Celebration

Oftentimes, people can take christmas lights and decorating to a whole level. If not for staying tidy and organized, the glamorous luminosity of your christmas tree and roof top wouldn’t exist.

As someone who goes “all out for the holidays,” Senior Rachel Steichen said that, “I am basically the epitome of Christmas; my house looks like the Griswold’s from Holiday Vacation.”

Stiechen said that she keeps her stress level down by putting up decorations in sequences. “To not stress out I put my decorations up in phases. Since I decorate every part of my house I have quite a bit to do and it takes me a few days. I divide it into three phases so I can keep myself sane and not get overwhelmed.”

How to #3: Frugally Festive

During the holidays, it’s easy to find yourself splurging on gifts and maybe even going a bit over board. If you’re the crafty, sentimental type, DIY and homemade projects make great presents for family and friends. Plus, you don’t have to empty your piggy bank to the people your loved ones smile.

Shailyn Berry, a junior at AHS, said that she enjoys making DIY gifts. “ During the winter my grandma and I make homemade  snow globes to give out on Christmas. They turn out really cute, plus they’re super simple which I love.”

Berry also added that using materials on hand is a great way to cut down on spending. “Mason jars make nice gifts. I’ve made cookies, soups and muffins to give to my family. Everyone loves them!”

Admittedly, there isn’t a sure-fire way to cut down on all things stressful during the holidays. But these little hints will help to ensure that you have a relatively stress-free holiday.