The holidays are a beautiful, blessed, glorious time filled with delicious food, family gatherings, thoughtful shopping — and stress.

It’s true that many people find themselves panicking a bit over planning the perfect holiday meal, hunting down the best present and whipping up delicious sugar cookies. So what can they do to help themselves out?

Clinical dietician Brooke Steigauf with the University of Iowa Hos­pitals and Clinics said one way to help manage stress during the holidays is to make to-do lists. She recommended people prioritize tasks starting with the most im­portant one, then working down the list.

“Visually seeing what needs to be completed (and getting the satisfaction from marking off what is done) helps organize thoughts and allocate time. However, flexibility is key. For as much planning that can be...