The festive holiday season can be an emotional minefield for even the most sure-footed person. The final two weeks of each December can easily slide into one big stocking full of holiday stress.

But the behavioral health team at Pottstown’s Community Health &Dental Care (CHDC) cite methods to keep an even keel over the next handful of weeks.

Its recommendations, sourced from Mayo Clinic experts, include the following:

• Acknowledge feelings; it’s okay to experience emotions and healthy to express them
• Reach out; seek connections through community or other social events
• Set realistic expectations; the holidays don’t have to be perfect to be meaningful
• Set aside differences; try to accept family members and friends as they are
• Employ a shopping budget; decide on a reasonable, affordable amount to spend and stay within that limit
• Plan! Schedule holiday activities — shopping, baking, visiting — for specific days
• Learn to say “No.” A polite “No, thank you” to an invitation or obligation can reduce feelings of resentfulness and being overwhelmed
• Stick to healthy habits; the holidays should not become a free-for-all of eating and drinking
• Take a breather; find an enjoyable activity and engage in it unapologetically
• Seek professional help if holiday stress becomes overwhelming

Derek Hammacher, CHDC Licensed Processional Counselor, commented: “As we head into the next few months, Yes, it will be colder; yes, it will get darker; and yes, it will inevitably bring weather we may not want to readily accept.

“Whether or not you consider yourself a ‘winter-season person’ (and some of you do), it is a uniquely different time of year than our warmer months.

“Along with snow and frigid temperatures, these next few months also include some festive holidays. Holidays are certainly welcome, but they also tend to bring with them various other demands — such as (unwanted) house guests, cooking large meals, shopping and spending money, entertaining, and cleaning.

“It is no wonder, then, that along with the joy of celebrating the holidays, we also tend to feel more stressed, depressed, uneasy, [and] overwhelmed.”

To schedule an appointment with a specialist with the CHDC Behavioral Health Team to discuss holiday stress or any other worrisome mental health condition, visit the CHDC online or call 610.326.9460.

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The above advice from the Mayo Clinic can be augmented by the contents of its video on the topic of holiday stress.