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When December first hits and the holidays come closer the list of things you need to buy grows longer. And so does your anxiety. Will my cousin really want a race car? Will the DVD I bought my dad measure up to the gift my sibling gave him? For most of us, it’s enough to call a suspension on the holidays.

Have you ever been stressed or had anxiety during the holidays to find the perfect gift for someone. Well did you know that that’s an actual type of anxiety, it’s called ‘Holiday Gift’ Anxiety.

Well for some people in Bellwood how much they worry and stress during the holidays have different opinions.

Sidney Patterson, a senior, says she gets stressed during the holidays because she never wants her gift to be the one that gets returned. She also pays for the gifts she buys all by herself unless she gets something big for her parents. Than she and her brother split the cost. She finds it the most difficult to shop for her boyfriend and her brother.

“I have the most difficulty shopping for my boyfriend and my brother because boys are the toughest ones to shop for,” Sidney says.

Travis Luensman, a sophomore, says he gets stressed during the holidays.

“Yes I get stressed during the holidays, you never know what to get someone or what they like, it’s hard to find the perfect gift,” says Travis.

On the other hand, Harley Strunk, a freshman, says she doesn’t get stressed during the holidays and pays the gifts she buys by herself also. But, she does get more anxiety during the holidays. She finds it he most difficult to shop for her sisters.

“It’s the most difficult to shop for my sisters because they like variety of things, not just one thing at a time,” Harley says.

Trevor Miller, a sophomore, says that people focus on the wrong things during the holiday.

“People look more into gift-giving then what Christmas actually means,” says Trevor.

This year, before the anxiety sets in and your list of items for the holidays grows longer, approach your gift giving from a different angle. Instead of wrapping until your fingers go numb and your wallet is empty, put some thought into it. Here are tips on the art of giving form WebMD:

• Do a gift exchange where you pick a name of a family member out of a hat and buy a present for only that person, instead of stressing yourself out by buying for all 30 people in your family. Incidentally, this will also help you stick to a budget.
• When it comes to making it through the holidays with enough money the first thing you should do is plan ahead. Start saving money in January for the end of the year. Next, pick a number that doesn’t make you cringe, and use it as a budget. Create an account specifically for the holidays, put a set amount in it, and when it’s empty, you’re done. And remember that a good gift doesn’t have to cost a lot.
• Receiving gifts are also special, and admittedly, some of us are much better at it than others. While one person cringes when they open a badly wrapped socks from the aunt, while another jumps for joy even though the gift sucks. But keep in mind, the holidays are never perfect, and neither are all of the gifts you’ll open.
• Be creative. Remember that a gift doesn’t always need to wrapped, and the gift of time is cherished. Spending hours in holiday traffic buying gifts for people who don’t need them is a frustrating task. Perhaps some people would prefer to spend more time together rather than exchange wrapped gifts. Others might prefer a donation to charity or simply a Christmas card or phone call. Find some way to show love for family and friends beyond gift-giving. Saying appreciative words, being more warm and accepting, helping out, or overlooking faults can spread holiday cheer better than the most elaborate table setting, festive drink, or gift.
• Driving around like a maniac trying to find the right gift isn’t necessarily the way to go. Instead, get organized, be flexible, and give gifts because you mean it. And think to yourself ‘If someone doesn’t get their gift by Christmas or Hanukkah, give it a few days later. Most adults are pretty flexible, and if they can’t be flexible, they probably don’t deserve your gift anyway. People forget that gifts are supposed to be given from the heart, not because of obligation.’