With the holiday season approaching, Mary Beth Svatek, life coach and hypnotherapist, offers guidance on managing seasonal stress. “The holidays are a perfect time to take a deep breath and manage the season instead of letting it manage you,” she advises.

Svatek recalls working with clients like Gina, a wealthy mother who describes her feelings of always being in survival mode. “Many high-income clients have claimed the feeling of spending their lives in survival mode—the same sentiments heard from lower-income clients who struggle financially,” Svatek explains. She identifies a common cause: the relentless pressure to keep up with social standards and provide children with costly material items. This drive, Svatek says, often leads to constant stress and feelings of inadequacy regardless of income.

Adding to the problem, holiday habits of indulging in sugar, alcohol and processed foods can worsen stress by taxing the body. Svatek encourages clients to shift focus by creating simpler, healthier holiday meals and emphasizing quality time with loved ones. “Consider that your children may not remember the gifts but will treasure memories of time spent together in peace and joy,” she says.

Svatek’s advice to clients in all walks of life is to resist holiday woes that include overindulgence, overspending and overcompensating, to summon a season centered on connection and well-being. Embracing a “less is more” approach, she suggests, can bring a sense of calm and a healthier, happier holiday experience.