While for many people the holiday season is joyous and hopeful, others may find it just as stressful as interviewing for a new job. Many factors can contribute to the holiday blues. To begin with, there are more parties to attend and more shopping trips to make. But this doesn’t mean we work fewer hours or get a break from household duties—we just try to do more things in a single day. Then there are the financial burdens. The rewards of being generous to close friends and family may outweigh the price tag—and what about extended family, old friends from school, and co-workers? Don’t they deserve gifts? And finally, the holidays can be truly painful when we recall the loss of those who are no longer celebrating with us because of death, distance or divorce. However, the good news is that it’s usually possible to prevent the holiday blues bydiversifying your holiday plans.

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