Like every other year, holiday stressors are back

DECATUR, Ill. (WAND) - Just over a week from Christmas Day, many people are feeling the stress of making it a perfect Christmas.

Spending, where to spend the holidays, difficulties with family, finding that perfect gift, and many other things cause people to feel the weight on their shoulders.

"A lot of people don't want to celebrate the holidays because they have issues with family members," said Macy Collins, a Nurse Practitioner at HSHS Medical Group. "Also just being stressed about making sure they meet expectations, finding the right gifts, things like that."

Collins says that it's normal to feel stressed out about a variety of things during the holiday season.

"The season does bring about a bunch of emotions and it's okay to feel those emotions," Collins said. "It's not a bad thing to have a lot of sadness around the holidays. I think a lot of people feel like they can't feel that sadness because it's supposed to be a cheerful time, but it is a very common thing for a lot of people."

There are some things you can can keep in mind that could help you fight off some of those stressors.

"Just manage your expectations," Collins advised. "Be realistic about the outcomes you're going to face, but also setting boundaries is huge for family members and issues you have. Remind yourself that if you're lonely or you recently suffered a loss and you don't feel ready to celebrate, then that's perfectly okay too."