The holiday season can be a very stressful time for many people - you have to buy and wrap gifts, prepare holidays meals, write cards, clean the house. There's a lot to do! Although the holiday season is a fun and happy time to spend with family and friends it can also be stressful for some.

Stressful is an adjective to describe something that causes the feeling of worry or distress.If I am stressed or stressed out, I am very anxious or worried. People are stressed in many situations - before an exam, an interview, a competition, before going to the doctor. There are many things in life that can cause stress!

If you've taken a look at the picture above, you can tell these people are stressed! "Get outta my way" and "stay back" are both not very friendly phrases to use but it shows that sometimes when we're in a panic, we tend to be very rude and inconsiderate. The word "outta" is a contraction of "out of." It's used commonly in informal speech. This phrase means, don't stand in my path, move away! "Stay back" has almost the same meaning - don't come closer, move away!

If you're feeling a bit stressed during this time of year, here's a few tips to help you deal with it:

1. STOP BEING A PERFECTIONIST
Sometimes we demand everything to go smoothly that we reject anything that is less than perfect. This is the meaning of a perfectionist - someone who demands high standard or perfection. It's not always a bad thing to be a perfectionist, but sometimes it can cause a lot of mental and physical stress. So slow down and stop demanding everything to be perfect! You don't have to buy the best gifts or have the most beautiful holiday decorations, these things are not the most important.

2. ASK FOR HELP
It's hard for us to ask for help sometimes as we don't want to bother others, but there may be people who actually want to help and would find it an honor to be asked. So don't be afraid to get some assistance even if it's from your children, sibling, coworker, or spouse. Sharing a task together can be a great way to spend time together.

3. DO SOMETHING FOR YOURSELF
The holiday season may sometimes seem like it's all about others - buying gifts for others, cooking for others, . Take some time to do something you like, for yourself. It doesn't have to be big, maybe sit down and enjoy an afternoon coffee, take a walk, or buy your favorite flowers.

4. HELP OTHERS
What better way to relieve stress than to focus your attention on helping others who need it? Sometimes we are so focused on ourselves and things that are not so important that we forget to appreciate all the things that we already have. By helping others, we can focus our attention on what matters most during this holiday.

5. THINK ABOUT WHATS IMPORTANT
Sometimes we are so concerned about all the little things that we forget what's important. Being able to spend time with loved ones is more important than what kind of wrapping paper to buy. Don't miss out on special opportunities by spending time stressing out on things that are not important!

Related Lessons:
Contractions
Your and You're

The older you get, the more you'll realize that life is not always fair or nice. Sometimes it can be scary,  frustrating, and stressful but you're not the only one. Everyone deals with ups and downs in life. But if we can think positively, the hardships of our lives may become easier to deal with.

This month, The Little English Therapist is encouraging you to practice "5 Mental Habits That Can Make You a Stronger Person" by Kallen Diggs.

To help you read this article, below is a bit of English help first. Once you understand each part you can try and read the entire article here where the writer explains more into why each point is important.

1. Be Willing To Take Risks
"Risk" (noun) is something that can cause danger, hurt, or loss. To take risks means to do things that may cause these dangers. But why? Think of people who go to casinos and gamble. Even though it is a risk (because they may lose a lot of money), they might also win a lot of money! That's why they are willing to take risks.

2. Embrace Change
When we "embrace change" we can accept and welcome change. "Embrace" means to accept something with enthusiasm. Sometimes change can be good, so try to "embrace" it.

3. Stay Positive
The opposite of "positive" (+) is "negative" (-). Positive is to be hopeful, enthusiast, and happy. When we are positive we don't think about all the things that are bad or sad but have a happy attitude.

4. Focus On What You Can Control
When we are frustrated or angry about something, it's very easy to sit and think about all the things that could have happened or should have happened. I do this a lot too! To focus on what we can "control" means to stop wasting time thinking about things that can't be changed. Focus on what we can do something about. "Control" means the ability or power to influence or change something. For example, "She has control over her husband " :-)

5. Always Remember The Big Picture
"The big picture" is the situation as a whole (focus on the most important facts of the situation).

Now that you've learned the meaning of each part, visit and read the entire article here. See how much you can understand.