People too often are overwhelmed at the holidays by the demands of work and celebration with friends and families. Instead of enjoying this time, they may look forward to it with dread, knowing there will not be enough time to accomplish all that is asked of them. This article addresses some of the ways to manage stress during the holidays when you may feel you need more time and energy.

You have a right to take care of yourself. Try to find the time to exercise for half an hour daily and get 8 hours of sleep. This is the best time to follow a low-carbohydrate diet and stay away from sweets-they are practically addictive because they are so plentiful this time of year. But the sweets cause fatigue, weight gain and may add to the out-of-control feeling.

Also, avoid alcohol-it will make you feel tired and less in control. In the worst cases, alcohol can damage a woman's reputation at parties or cause hurtful words in a family. Women absorb alcohol more rapidly and are intoxicated with less than a man.

Perhaps you should reassess your holiday traditions. Could they be modified and still be meaningful? If you think creatively about new ways to please your family and celebrate the holidays, everyone might be happier.

So many people spend days cooking when the family would be satisfied with a meal purchased for the occasion. If the cooking and clean-up can be easier, that is one area where you may find a few extra moments. Food focus has gone "out of vogue" because it is a way that people get overly stressed during the holidays. Cooking and cleaning up too often take over for family interaction or quiet, restful times to re-energize.

Is the gift giving in your family what you and your loved ones really want to do? Perhaps if you were honest with each other, some of those with whom you routinely exchange gifts would be happy to stop but they may be as afraid as you are to broach the topic. Even if you decide to keep the same gift-giving traditions this year, set a budget and stick to it. Having debts pile up during the holidays is a sure bet for increased stress and let-down.

Are there friends and relatives who cause you extra stress every year? If so, can you interact with them only briefly? Can you avoid a trip out of town to be with people who upset you or your family every year?

It is OK to say "no" to people and to give a face-saving reason. If you are not the type who enjoys parties, then you should decline some of them and not feel guilty about it. As someone who works and manages a home, you simply cannot say "yes" to every request for your time. You have to prioritize. You cannot get away from work, and so your immediate family and your own health and well being have to come first.

At work, always wear your professional mask and never let people get under your skin. Backing away from something you said takes much longer than never saying something impolite at all.

At the end of the work day, take stock of what you have done and spend a few minutes preparing for the next day. Look at your work patterns and try to make the most of them. Do you work best early in the morning? Do you work best for 1 to 2 hours, then need a break, or do you get more done if you work straight through to complete a task? Everyone has work rhythms and this is a good time to capitalize on what you know about yours.

The holidays should be a happy time but too often, they are stressful and not as pleasant as they could be. Think ahead this year-challenge your old assumptions about what you really have to do to be in a holiday mood. Find ways to give yourself more rest, avoid sweets and alcohol and do not let this holiday leave a legacy of weight gain and debt.

Mayo-trained Internal Medicine Specialist Kathleen W. Wilson, MD, is the author of: Health For Midlife Women: When You Think You Are Falling Apart, Brain Maintenance: Preventing Stroke & Delaying Dementia, and Your Husband's Health: Simplify Your Worry List.