Please try to reach out for support during the holidays....

[Tobin S.]

2. I think one of the best ways to cope with holiday stress is

to do something nice for yourself as well as your family and friends. I know that not all of us have good relationships with our families, but most of us feel compelled to do something with them on the holidays. If your folks stress you out, be extra kind to yourself this holiday season. What's the lyric from from the Journey song? "Be good to yourself when nobody else will." Something like that.

I think what can be even worse for some people than spending time with toxic relatives is spending the holidays completely alone. I don't know about where everyone else may live, but here in my little burg there are community get-togethers this time of year often sponsored by churches. I'm not the church going type, but I think if I were all alone this time of year I might participate in such gatherings. I'm somewhat introverted, but even people like me need human contact from time to time.