Are you fretting over the holidays? If you find yourself biting the heads off gingerbread men and burying the bodies, you might need a little stress relief. So, here are some tips to soothe your frenzied soul.

First: Sit up straight! According to Dr. Erik Pepper of the Institute for Holistic Healing Studies, 95% of people assume a stressed position when they sit at their desk. Tight shoulders, clenched back muscles. You have to train yourself to put your hands in your lap and pull your shoulders back whenever things start to get overwhelming. It's an instant stress-tamer.
• Next: Read out loud. Whether it's a newspaper, an email or the label on your aspirin bottle, take a few moments to recite it out loud. Dr. Georgia Witkin from the Mt. Sinai School of Medicine says that reading out loud forces you to activate the same side of your brain used for worrying. So much in fact, that your worries get blocked out.
• And one more stress-relieving technique: Make like a flamingo. According to the book "Dr. Yoga," standing on one leg for a few minutes is like meditation. Your brain focuses on balancing, so it shuts out other thoughts and begins to relax.

Just something to think about the next time you feel like torturing an innocent gingerbread man.