There's so much to do this holiday season. With Thanksgiving only a few days away, most of us still need to head to the grocery store for that big turkey and get those boxes of stuffing--my personal favorite (hehe).

Then Thanksgiving night starts; the famous holiday shopping, which if you're like me, you wait until the last minute to do it (hey I'm a busy person, I can't help it). Regardless, there's something to keep in mind whether you go to the grocery store or any retail store.

Be patient with the workers.

As a retail employee, the holiday season is the craziest season for us for many reasons. Last year, I was working at a grocery store and I had lines so long, they would be down some of the aisles. I went as fast as I could and for the most part, I didn't have any problems, nor was I really in a bad mood. There were a few times I would ring up a person who just had to complain about the lines, even though every register was open and every register had lines. Sorry lady, what would you like me to do? Clear the lines for you? You're funny!

This year, I am working at a department store and I have more responsibilities than at the grocery store. I have to keep up with cleaning out fitting rooms, processing online orders, working the register, helping put out stock, doing price changes and making sure the store doesn't look like a mess at the end of the night just in case we had a last minute visit from the CEOs the next morning. Not to mention, having to help train the new people we hire for the holidays. My store is pretty understaffed to begin with, so my six or eight hour day can feel like a 10 hour day because of everything I have to do that day.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not complaining at all. I love my job and I love my coworkers. What annoys me is the customers who don't understand that I'm only one person who is doing a bunch of things that you probably don't think about. If you encounter an employee who seems to be really busy doing something, ask them nicely for their help; don't be rude and expect them to immediately come to your aid.

I apologize in advance for the long lines you will encounter. But, if you really want that frying pan that was originally $60 and it's on sale for $15, then I hope it's worth it. We may not be able to have all the registers in the store open, frankly because we are either understaffed or doing other things to help make your shopping experience better.

I understand if you are having a bad day when you're at the store, but don't take your frustrations out on the cashier or another employee who is just trying to help you. We want you to be happy, but when there are things we simply can't control -- whether it be lines or a certain item being sold out -- that does not give you the right to lose your temper and get mad at us.

For the new employees, things are incredibly harder for them. This may be their first retail job and some are still trying to get used to the register. If they get stuck or forget something on the register, be patient and remember your first job, whether it be retail or not, and remember how nervous you probably felt. If they make a mistake, nine times out of 10 it can be fixed, but it's not something to lose your head over. Especially if they apologize and explain that they are still new.

Yes, the holidays are crazy and sometimes we forget the real meaning of this season. It's not about the presents or the crazy prices. It's about spending time with the people you love and being thankful for everything in your life. Us retail workers are humans too. We have families and things we enjoy doing outside of work.