CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — At La Palmera mall, the countdown to Christmas is on.
And so is the stress.
"Making sure I get the last-minute touch-up before the wife finds out I'm out here," said shopper Vincent Mena.
Mena is among the shoppers getting in their steps, and with his last gift secured, it's one less thing to worry about.
"You got shopping and knowing what to get a person,” he said. “If kids make their Christmas list, try to get at least one or two things that's on the list itself."
And like many parents, he knows -- when it comes to kids -- sometimes their wants are a little more pricey.
"All the electronic devices -- that's why I took care of that before Christmas so that way I don't have to take care of it now," he said.
At center court, Nueces Mental Health and Intellectual Disabilities advisors were helping relieve some of the season’s pressure by wrapping gifts for shoppers.
"As you know this is a really stressful time for many people," said MHID Mental Health First Aid Training Coordinator Kaitlin Sullivan.
She said holiday stress, such as buying gifts, can come in different shapes or sizes.
"There's buying gifts for everyone on your list, there's wrapping those gifts,” she said. “The cleaning, the cooking, the family coming into town . . ."
Stress that's not just limited to adults -- but to kids, too.
"They talk to the other friends at school and when they come back from break,” she said. “They talk about all these great gifts they get. There's a sense of competition between our youth, but we want to remind them the importance of the holiday is spending time with family. Spending time together."
She said it’s important for folks to take the time to think about their mental health and self-care.
"It could be working out, taking a nap, whatever self-care is specific to you,” she said. “We want to make sure you are engaging in it."
And if the cause of that stress is a family gathering? It’s okay to step away for a bit.
"If you need to take a walk, lap, just a few minutes of self-care meditation – it’s perfectly OK," she said.
Eli Rodriguez stopped by the booth to get a gift wrapped for his 5-year-old son.
"He's difficult to shop for,” he said. “We've been, kinda, planning this gift right here for him, so it's gonna be a special Christmas for him."
He said what keeps him calm during an otherwise stressful time of year is making a plan and remembering what the holiday is really all about.
"Taking time and figuring out who the present goes to,” Rodriguez said. “At the end of the day, it’s not about the amount, it’s what is given from the heart that matters."
For someone who doesn't have family around, it's also a time of year that can be very lonely.
Sullivan says if it ever becomes too much, you can always call their crisis hotline at 888-767-4493. It's 24/7, and the caller will be connected to a professional right away.