Whether it's getting that right gift or just dealing with the in-laws, it's no secret the holidays can be stressful.
See tips to overcome holiday stress:
"The holidays just add a layer of pressure to do everything, to be perfect, to prepare the perfect meal you bring to the holiday dinner. Do you expect people to be perfect? The answer is no," said Montana licensure candidate and mental health therapist, David Eichler.
Eichler says much of the stress between Thanksgiving and New Year's comes from three sources: money, time and energy.
As for energy, he says taking steps to separate busyness from stress, as well as spreading out responsibilities, can be helpful.
"I could have 12 things I need to accomplish between now and Christmas Day. Well, that doesn't mean I'm stressed. That means I'm busy and a lot of people skip straight past busy and go to stressed. A lot of people around them talk about how stressed they are, and that's not the best thing you can do for yourself," said Eichler.
The second big stressor is money. Eichler says being present and thoughtful is more important than shelling out cash for a big gift.
"You can't go anywhere, three weeks before Thanksgiving now, without starting to hear Christmas jingles and being reminded you need to spend money and you need to follow the rules of consumerism," said Eichler.
Time may also be hard to find as the days count down. Whether it's groceries or gift shopping, Eichler says doing it online may be worth it in the long run.
"If you're worried about your energy, you can shop online. Somebody might say, 'Oh, that's not the same as shopping in person'. That's kind of true, but if you're worried about your time and your energy, you're choosing to be stressed," Eichler said.
MTN News bumped into some shoppers at a plaza on Grand Avenue and 13th Street West. The shoppers said they are not very stressed and emphasized focusing on family first.
"What I look forward to is being together with the family. That's all. Happiness and health," said Diana Herman, who was shopping for Thanksgiving dinner.
"The gifts aren't the big thing for me. I keep telling them I don't need anything. I just want to see you,” said Thanksgiving shopper Dianne Allen.
