It's the season of celebration and joy but for some of us, it may be more of a season of stress.

With extra obligations, presents to buy, or even grief over the loss of a loved one, Christmas time can come with it's share of challenges.

Victoria Sharp is a yoga instructor and health and wellness entrepreneur in the Friendly City. She says over the past few years she and her husband have worked to reduce the financial, material and time commitments that they've previously made during Christmas seasons past.

"We tend to idealize the holiday season," said Sharp. "We create so many unrealistic expectations for ourselves. I think we have to start with that there, we take on too much."

For Sharp, the Christmas season has become more about sharing experiences, rather than purchasing gifts.

"I think there's this cycle that has happened. Because we're recieving gifts, we automatically feel that we have to reciprocate and give a gift back, so we get really stressed out. I think that we need to kind of dial back and realize why we are giving gifts. Not that I think giving gifts aren't wonderful, but it's the purpose behind it."

Besides financial stress, the holidays can also bring up memories of deceased loved ones and stress among family members. Sharp said she has a couple strategies that she has used to deal with her own Christmas blues.

"I know that nature is a huge part of my life and my healing for different situations, so getting outside as much as you can. Go for that afternoon walk. Go skating with your friends and loved ones. Surround yourself that way with nature so it can help to take care of you."

Another useful technique, says Sharp, is mindfulness. 

"I think that if we can create a good routine for ourselves to set ourselves up for success throughout our days, that helps us to be more mindful. So when you're making a decision you know why youre making it. You're not just doing it because you think that's what other people want you to do."

Her other advice is to try an 80/20 rules over the holidays: stick to your normal schedule 80 percent of the time, and plan the other 20 percent for fun and indulgence.

"You don't have to say yes to everything. Choosing the activities to take part in that are going to enhance your life and not create added stress, surrounding yourself with the people that you love and you like to spend time with. We can feel obligated to attend maybe three Christmas parties in one weekend, so just making sure during the week as you prepare for that that you are sticking to your schedule, trying to get a good night's sleep, not over indulging."

Sharp said there's nothing wrong with giving gifts or spending extra time with friends, family and good food over the holidays, but if the season is stressing you out, try adding some sort of mindfulness technique to your daily routine.

"Here where we live, everything is busy all the time. I don't think that's always the right path for us, and I think that we get ourselves caught up into situations that we can become stressed or overwhelmed. Not saying that stress and feeling overwhelmed isn't going to happen in our lives anyway, it's just learnnig how we can deal with that. Be mindful in our day and setting aside time for ourselves."

If you'd like to connect with Sharp for more health and wellness strategies, you can find her on Facebook at Strong With Nature.