The normal stresses of life can be accentuated during the holidays.
Tziporah Rosenberg is an assistant professor of psychiatry and family medicine at the University of Rochester Medical Center and the institute for the family.
She says whether you spend the holidays alone or with family, many people find the season emotionally taxing.
"Many times holiday time can be a time for connecting with family. So, if family relationships are strained that can source of stress. Or if someone doesn't have family or someone to spend holiday time with, that sense of loneliness or not being connected can cause stress as well."
Rosenberg recommends starting with a positive attitude.
She also says that people should start the holidays with realistic expectations about how much time they can spend with difficult family members.