It's coming. Black Friday, Cyber Monday, the shopping, the parties and the insanity of it all. This is the time of year where taking care of yourself falls to the wayside due to all of the craziness that is the holiday season. But it's also a lot of fun. How about this year you take a different approach and manage your stress with a little planning?

Make Your List and Budget

Whether you do everything online or brave the stores in the middle of the night — or morning — on Black Friday, you should have your list ready to go. Try to plan who's getting what as much as possible. Note the sales and where you need to go to get what. Make a budget and do your absolute best to stick with it. Right here is a ton of stress that can be lifted. Plus, you can get this done more quickly and enjoy the season.

Don't Skip Workouts

All year long you get those workouts in. You've worked hard to get where you are physically, and it's probably helped a lot with work and personal stress. Why should the holidays be any different? Exercise has many health benefits, including stress management. This is not the time to give up on your goals, but embrace those workouts to maintain your sanity — and your health. Shorten them if you need to, but try not to skip them altogether.

Self-Care

This has become a very hot topic recently. You may have heard the saying, "You can't pour from an empty cup". This means that if you are stressed out, you aren't going to be able to be there and enjoy all the time with family and friends. A party will feel like an obligation rather than a time of joy. So, get in that self-care. Workouts, massage, meditation, a relaxing shower or bath, playtime with kids, taking your dog for a walk, reading a book or even just watching your favorite TV show are all ways to take care of yourself.

Don't Be Afraid to Say No

It's going to happen. You are going to get invited to more than one get-together on the same day. If it is going to cause stress rather than excitement, say no to one of the gatherings. Again, this is a time to be thankful and enjoy each other. You don't have to stretch yourself thin for others. You are only human.

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