Nearly forty percent of Americans feel an increased amount of stress during the holiday season. That's according to the American Psychological Association.
Christmas is just days away, and for many, it's a time for joy and cheer. But it can also the demands of work, home, shopping, cooking and travel can be difficult.
Doctor Susan Buttross is with the University of Mississippi Medical Center. She says stress can come from a number of sources, but a lack of time is number one.
"Probably the major one is not feeling like you have enough time is one big one," Buttross says, "which means often a loss of sleep and not taking good care of yourself while you're trying to add all these extra time-consuming things."
While the stress of the holidays can be difficult to manage, Doctor Buttross says there are some simple ways people can manage the stress.
"Sit down and write down what needs to be done," Buttross advises. "The other thing that you can do is do something special for yourself that might make you feel good. Go for a message. Go for a run if you want, or go for a bike ride when you want to let yourself take the time for that."
While stress during the holidays can affect anyone, health experts say women are disproportionately affected by the time crunch.
