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Relationships: Family and friends gather for Christmas dinner party.

Source: Pamela Moore / Getty

The holiday season is simply a great time of the year. It’s a time to be thankful and to celebrate the birth of our LORD and savior Jesus Christ. It’s a time to reunite with family and friends and can be stressful at times.

Here are some helpful tips to avoid holiday stress.

Do Not Overspend

One of the biggest things that causes stress is over spending. It’s important to create a budget and stick with it. It’s hard to do but if you can be discipline with your spending it will save you both money and headaches. Remember the season is about giving and not the price or size of the gift.

 Plan Ahead Of Time 

You know the saying “Proper Planning Prevents Poor Performance.” Come up with a plan ahead of time and know that the plan may change so be flexible to change things up when things you did not anticipate pop up.

Don’t Stress Perfection

We all strive to have the biggest and best Christmas celebration presentation. Trying to have everything perfect can cause both stress and pressure. Keep in mind that the gathering is all about quality time with family and friends. What they enjoy more than anything is the fellowship not the presentation.

 Have Some You Time And Relax

Often people run around getting gifts, cooking the holiday meal, travel, put up the Christmas tree, lights and clean the house for the big day.But what they don’t do is take time for themselves. Please take time for yourself, this will cut down on a lot of stress. This is important because you need to recharge your batteries and the only way to do that is to relax.

Don’t Forget The True Reason For The Season

Matthew 1:18-25 (NIV)

18 This is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be with child through the Holy Spirit. 19 Because Joseph her husband was a righteous man and did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly. 20 But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. 21 She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.” 22 All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: 23 “The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel”–which means, “God with us.” 24 When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife. 25 But he had no union with her until she gave birth to a son. And he gave him the name Jesus.