This time of year, it’s easy to find your daily routine thrown out of whack along with your sleep schedule, diet and bank account. For some people, the holidays can push their stress to the next level.

“We tend to forget that the purpose of the holidays is to be surrounded by our loved ones and not so much the tangible things,” says Dr. Mina Guirguis, a physician with Tidelands Health Family Medicine at The Market Common in Myrtle Beach.

Family gatherings can be just as stressful as the weeks of gift shopping, party planning and meal preparation that lead up to holidays. Add the constant stream of holiday perfection on social media, and even your best efforts can feel inadequate by comparison.

For all those reasons, it’s important to keep things in perspective and give ourselves some grace during the holidays. Here are a few ways to do that.

That goes for you and your family members. Trying to find that perfect gift or designing the perfect holiday table can take the fun out of the whole enterprise.

“Perfectionism increases our stress levels,” Dr. Guirguis says. “Especially with kids, the thing they’ll remember the most is that their parents created a warm environment.”

And let your social media posting lapse, if that helps, because comparison, as the saying goes, is the thief of joy.

Whether it’s your budget for holiday spending or a pushy relative telling you how you’re preparing the dinner wrong, setting boundaries and sticking to them is a difficult but vital part of keeping a grip on your stress during the holidays, says Dr. Guirguis.

The same rule applies to personal issues such as getting enough sleep and keeping a handle on your eating. Stress can cause us to overindulge in both sugar and alcohol, which then creates its own stressful situations.

Along with carving the turkey or ham, don’t forget to carve out time to decompress.

While the turkey’s roasting, step outside for a moment of quiet or go for a walk around the block. At the end of the day, treat yourself to a warm bath or other relaxing activity.

“Just taking the time to relax, to take a deep breath and wind down—they’re important for your stress level,” says Dr. Guirguis.

If, after all that, your holiday anxiety continues, it may be time to consult your physician or a mental health care provider to try other techniques.

“If you’re noticing that you’re anxious or having a low mood for around two weeks, if you’re losing interest in things that you like, seek professional help,” Dr. Guirguis says.