"KEEP it simple."

That's the advice Sunraysia Community Health Services senior clinician for mental health Marie Parker has for people across the region during the holiday period.

According to beyondblue, the lead-up to Christmas can be a stressful and anxious time, particularly for those dealing with loneliness, family relationship problems or financial hardship.

It's a sentiment echoed by Ms Parker, who said it was important to keep in mind that we "don't have to be the hostess with the mostest".

"We don't have to be the most glamorous, we don't have to be the person who spends the most on gifts ... a lot of (stress and anxiety) can be around performance, 'I must have the biggest turkey', 'I must have the biggest iced cake,' ... those sort of very triv...