Daris Lancaster: So what is holiday stress? Stress by definition is emotional and mental strain or suspense. But with the holidays, stress almost defies definition because what can be stressful for one person is not stressful for another.

Each year we have these holiday shopping crowds, we expect we know that they are there. One person might find that being a part of that crowd is something that exhilarates and even excites and motivates them. Where another person could find that that same crowd is a source of frustration, of confusion, makes them feel even anxious.

So what's the difference? The attitude. Now, that can also cause self sabotaging behaviors like, focusing on what's not going right, what you wish would it be happening, who is not there. It's really important to take care of yourself, to take care of your stress and to put some coping plans into place.

One simple, easy and very portable way to stop stress in its tracks, is practice of deep breathing. All you need to do is to just call your awareness to your breathing, and you can start by taking three nice deep cleansing breath. Now when you take these breaths, you want to be aware whether you are breathing into your chest and into your abdomen.

Another thing you can do to eliminate the stress of doing too much until the time is to delegate. Now, if you are going to choose to delegate, you have to keep in mind about who you are delegating to. If you choose to delegate to someone that you know won't follow through, well your expectations is going to lead to more stress.

You can be aware of what your stressors are to help eliminate stress for yourself. Being aware of your triggers, being aware of your likes and dislikes, and with some careful planning, and some management techniques you can really reduce the stress you are feeling, and make the holidays a really wonderful pleasant time of year.