Avoiding Stress This Christmas
As December rolls around, there are many of us who begin to get excited. The nights get darker and the mornings get colder and most of us are looking forward to the first falling of snow, so we can fully embrace that Christmas is almost here. However, there’s a big proportion of us who dread the stress that the holiday season can bring with it. People prone to anxiety or just those who have a huge task on their hands can suffer from stress over the festive season. Cooking food for ten, buying and wrapping presents for the whole family and trying to get to work and back every day can all be a little too much for some people. Christmas is supposed to be a time of enjoyment, giving and relaxing so be sure to follow these points to try and reduce the stress that you feel over the holiday season.
Organisation is your best friend when Christmas arrives. Don’t let it creep up on you, make sure you’re prepared in advance and you can avoid the last minute dashes. Forgetting the turkey until Christmas eve or leaving somebody off your Christmas shopping lists forces you out into the chaos of late shopping; which is enough to raise the blood level of the most healthy individual. Make a list of all the things you need to and begin to work your way down it as far in advance as possible. Obviously you can’t begin cooking your turkey any earlier than normal, but you can certainly buy early gifts and perhaps get all of your Christmas cards written well before you normally would.
Money is one of the biggest causes of stress around Christmas. Try calculating yourself a budget so that you know how much your festive season is going to hurt your bank account. Incorporate things like gifts, food, drink, visits, phone calls and events. You’ll want to set aside a contingency fund because you’re more likely than not going to overspend, impulse buys and un expected costs are at a premium during Christmas. Knowing how much you have left of your fund is very helpful when it comes to selecting presents. You would rather buy all of your friends and family a small gift than leave some without a gift at all.
Your personal relationships can come under strain at Christmas, not just because you’re all stressed but because you’re ‘forced’ into spending time with people you may not get along with. A lot of us bite our tongue at Christmas and repeat “not for another twelve months” but this serves only to increase the pressure. Alleviate any misgivings before the big day and clear the air, so that you can look forward to seeing your relatives, rather than dread it.
Try not to overindulge. We know it’s the season to be jolly, but drinking too much mulled wine can cause loose tongues and re-ignite those old family feuds. Hangovers do nothing to relax you, whilst over-eating will only serve to make you regret it when the New Year comes around and gym membership prices take a big hike!
Fill your home with simple ornaments and decorations, rather than those which will irritate you when the time comes to take them down. Get some battery powered Christmas lights to avoid the trailing wires and invest in some good quality tinsel which won’t moult glitter all over the carpet.
Minimise your stress by buying only the top quality decorations from UK Christmas World.