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This weekend can be a challenging, stressful time for any number of reasons.
Beacon Light is offering a series of tips that can help manage that stress and anxiety in what is a busy holiday season for many.
Kari Salapek, director of Adult Community Services, identified prioritizing and scheduling time to complete tasks that need to be accomplished, making time for self-care and giving yourself grace.
"Planning during the holidays can help you feel more in control of your activities and help prioritize the important tasks at home and at work," the agency said in a statement. "Within this schedule it is necessary that you create times free from working, and focus on self-care."
It might be easy to conclude that there isn't time for self-care but they outline how that can happen simply throughout the day, especially at work.
"Activities may include being easy on yourself for not getting everything done, taking a quick break from your desk to talk to a coworker, or staying hydrated throughout the day," they advise. "Additionally, your mental health is just as important as your physical health and it should not be ignored.
"Mentally it is easy to forget that not everything has to be 100% perfect and that trying your best is enough."
That goes for gifts, too.
"It is also important to remember your worth is not defined by the price tag on your gifts," they caution, "and there is no need to go into debt buying gifts for the holidays, because the best gifts given are the ones from the heart."
According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness, 64% of people with a mental illness report worsening of their conditions during the holidays. NAMI cites increased stress, shorter days, financial worries, loneliness and increased opportunities for use of drugs and alcohol as contributing factors for the uptick.
But there are ways to help manage mental health over the holidays.
"The best advice for people with mental health struggles or addiction issues is to have a well thought out plan that includes positive support," Family Services of Warren County Executive Director Kimberly Holt said.
She suggested "setting boundaries around your time, having a friend on speed dial, building in activities that are sober and focused on self-care, journaling, and not setting unrealistic expectations."
"Stay off social media, as often we compare ourselves to others and seeing pictures and videos of some hallmark-type holiday can lead us to focus on what we don't have rather than counting our blessings," she said. "Remember, those pictures are generally not the whole picture and definitely don't demonstrate the fact that there very well could be struggles in that family system as well.
The federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administrations recommends paying attention to your feelings; developing a plan for when you are feeling stressed, sad, or lonely; practicing self-care; connecting with community; supporting others; recognizing seasonal mood changes; avoiding alcohol and drugs and knowing when to seek help.
In general, Holt suggested trying to maintain a healthy lifestyle year-round.
"Finding our balance with maintaining a good sleep schedule, eating healthy, drinking water and staying focused on healthy eating makes a huge difference in our overall well-being," she said.
Reporter Jacob Perryman contributed to this article.