Similar to keeping realistic expectations, it's important to expect the unexpected. Your schedule should have a buffer in case things go wrong; don't assume that two-day shipping on your gift will actually only take two days or that the weather will be perfect.
"Stress tends to be more stressful when it's unanticipated; when you know it's coming, it's easier to handle," Raffi Bilek, LCSW-C, therapist and director of the Baltimore Therapy Centre, told POPSUGAR. "So don't plan on getting to the store without traffic or shopping without waiting in the checkout line. You know these things are likely, if not certain, so gear up for these eventualities."