Thanksgiving is a joyous time of year. The holiday gives us a chance to reconnect with family, reflect on everything we’re grateful for and enjoy delicious, soul-satisfying meals. But with food and gas prices on the rise, in addition to other life stressors, it can be hard to get into the spirit of gratitude.

If you’re feeling anxious about preparing for Thanksgiving, here are five tips to ease the stress and help make your holiday memorable.

1) Set boundaries. One way to reduce holiday stress is to manage everyone’s expectations before Thanksgiving arrives. If you’re inviting friends and family to your home for dinner, decide in advance how much money you’ll spend and don’t go over budget. If money is tight, ask your guests to bring a dish to stretch the meal. If you have relatives in town for the holiday, discuss ahead of time how long they will stay.

2) Avoid family conflict. The nation is so divided right now. It seems that many people are on edge and easily upset. We always hear about close friends and family members parting ways over differences of opinions. This Thanksgiving, don’t get sucked into petty arguments. Let your guests know up front that touchy topics – such as politics or religion – are off limits. If someone violates that rule, don’t be afraid to speak up with love and respect.

3) Don’t be afraid to say no. We tend to become people pleasers as Thanksgiving approaches, because the holiday spirit makes us feel magnanimous and kind. But if you are quick to say yes to everything people ask of you, you’ll find your generosity wearing thin. Don’t be afraid to turn down requests if you don’t have the energy to take them on. Be honest with yourself about what you can and can’t handle.

4) Protect your peace. Even though November helps usher in a season of goodwill, our lives can often feel chaotic as the holiday draws near. Make a commitment to guard your peace. During all the planning and cooking, make sure you carve out quality time for yourself. Read a book. Exercise. Get out and enjoy the autumn weather and beautiful, colorful leaves. Protecting your downtime will help you stay calm and focused on the big day ahead.

5) Find joy in stressful situations. Even the best laid plans can go wrong. A recipe doesn’t turn out quite the way you wanted it to. Your child comes down with a cold. Your relatives arrive late or worse, they bring guests that you didn’t anticipate! Some Thanksgiving stress is unavoidable. But how you respond to those stressors can make or break your holiday. Choose to find joy in hard times. A dish breaks? No problem. You were overdue for a new set. The mac-and-cheese is a little too soupy? No worries. It will taste wonderful when you reheat it the next day. If you have your health, your family and loving memories, you can conquer any challenge the holiday sends your way.