It’s the most wonderful time of the year! But that can come with holiday stress, so make sure you check out the following gifs, I mean tips, to make your holidays happy:

 

1.) Spend lots of quality time with your loved ones. It’s supposed to look like this:

 

2.) But it won’t. Despite what Hallmark tells you, nobody’s holidays are perfect, so make sure you set healthy boundaries regarding spending time with loved ones.

 

3.) Start thinking about your holiday shopping early, by making a list of all the people you plan to buy gifts for, and how much you’d like to spend.

 

4.) Then, make yourself a gift budget based on money you can actually afford to spend.

 

5.) If you think you can’t stick to your budget because of gift expectations, consider giving thoughtful, hand-made gifts. Your loved ones will so appreciate the meaning and time you spent coming up with them.

 

6.) Since you don’t actually have much money or time, consider buying things online that merely look expensive.

 

7.) Maintain an attitude of thankfulness and optimism.

 

8.) But still expect a few bumps in the road.

 

9.) Savor the excitement that your kids have about Christmas morning.

 

10.) But to avoid trust issues down the road, consider letting your kids know that Santa isn’t real.

 

11.) To combat the holiday blues, be sure to take care of yourself through diet and exercise.

 

12.) Don’t skip out on your self-help/support groups just because of holiday business. Maintaining your support system during stressful or emotional times is one of the keys to good mental health.

 

13.) ‘Tis the season to get a DUI. So make sure you drink responsibly. Keep hydrated, and decide how many you will have in advance. Most importantly, make sure you eat first. Fruitcake before eggnog, people, FRUITCAKE BEFORE EGGNOG.

 

14.) And if you’re someone like me, try to remember that wine dissolves your filter, and you may want to avoid drinking altogether due to the risk of oversharing.

 

15.) Finally, be sure to follow food safety procedures during all festivities, and while eating leftovers. You don’t want to experience fever-induced delirium brought on by salmonella.