The theme movies on TV and Christmas carols on a loop at the mall may have you picturing a Courier and Ives-esque trip home for the holidays, but for many Americans, the holidays cause a huge amount of stress and anxiety.

A recent report from the Caron Institute found that budget tightening increased holiday stress.

“In general, 90% of the respondents said they experience some level of stress and/or anxiety about the holiday season. However this year more than a third (38 percent) said they expect to feel more stress and anxiety this holiday season due to the current economy.”

And things are getting less fun all over, due in no small part to the economy. Companies are holding smaller (and fewer) holiday parties to thank employees. In this piece from WNYC’s The Takeaway, experts reflected on party alternatives in the current recession.

“The money that used to be spent on the holiday party is now distributed evenly among employees and added to their end-of-year bonuses.”

Even greeting cards are taking a hit. I was always told “if you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say anything at all.” But the greeting card industry seems to feel that there’s always SOMETHING appropriate for the season.

David Dickerson, a freelance greeting card writer, spoke with NPR’s Talk of the Nation last week about ideas for new ways to say ‘seasons greetings’ during tough times.

For tips about how to handle stress in your life, One Nation Under Stress premieres on PBS January 4. In the second chapter, available online here, author Elizabeth Gilbert (“Eat, Pray, Love”) reflects on her journey through stress after a divorce.

How are you coping with stress this holiday season?