THE CLIENT was stressed out: Her three kids were hyped about being home from school and wanted to decorate for Christmas, but she hadn't gotten around to cleaning up from Thanksgiving yet.

She couldn't focus on the joy of the upcoming holidays because she was completely overwhelmed by her to-do list.

This time of year, holistic wellness coach Prakriti "Pax" Tandon sees a lot of clients, especially women, struggling like this.

"Isn't it heartbreaking? This is one of the most beautiful times of the year, and most women can't wait for it to be over because it's infused with so much stress," said Tandon, who, in October, was named editor of the Authentic Happiness website run by the University of Pennsylvania's Positive Psychology Center.

Tandon is all about balance. So she guided her client toward tapping into her inner childlike joy and being present for her children - instead of staying stuck in responsible adult mode, the way she was.

"It was like a lightbulb went off. There was silence for a minute," recalled Tandon, 36. "It was like, 'Whoa! I never thought about it that way. I never thought that it doesn't have to happen now and that just because I'm a parent doesn't mean I don't play with my children, [that] I don't engage in the things that they find joyful.' . . . That's a concept that we lose as adults."

I asked her what other advice she has for those of us caught up in holiday cray-cray. Studies show that women get more stressed than men this time of year.

"Be mindful of your balance," Tandon said, sounding very Zen.

Huh, what? I had to stop her right there.

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Stay positive and unstressed this holiday season