 You need a financial advisor with the freedom to focus on your specific needs. Whatever your goals, Reid Potter can create a game plan tailored to you. Call Reid at 432-0777 at Pikeville, Kentucky to learn more. For most, the holidays mean spending times with friends and family, making memories to enjoy for years to come. But for some, even these happy moments can lead to elevated levels of stress and anxiety. To that end, we spoke with Michelle Martel, Director of Clinical Training at the University of Kentucky for some general tips on how best to manage stress and enjoy your holidays as much as possible this year. There's definitely a seasonal component, especially to depression. Some people really have what we call cyclical depression where it worsens in the winter. It's where, why, for example, Seattle has some of the highest rates of depression because it's so kind of gray and rainy there all year around. But obviously, also, there's a lot of stressors that can come up at the holidays that are specific to the holidays and that can worsen both depression and anxiety. I would say, first of all, just remember that's very normal a lot. I would say maybe most people are dealing with increased levels of stress, anxiety, and depression. So just remind yourself you're in good company. I also always suggest self-compassion, which is just a fancy way of saying, try to be kind to yourself. Remember that this can be a really stressful time of year, not just because the season and the, you know, longer dark hours and the colder weather can negatively impact mood, but also because there's a ton of other stressors as well, right? Planning family dinners, buying gifts that can cause financial strain. If you have lost any loved ones in the last few years, this time of year can be tough to get through with those memories. So there's all kinds of reasons that this time.