How to Reduce Your Stress at Christmas
In theory Christmas is a time that is filled with joy and
celebration. A joyous holiday when
you get together with loved ones and catch up, exchange gifts
and generally have a good time.
Unfortunately in practice it can be a time of great stress
and
unhappiness. There is so much to do and so much to organise.
And
sometimes getting together with your extended family can be
uncomfortable and even painful.
So here is a plan that will help you to relax a little more
this
Christmas and hopefully a good time will be had by all.
Christmas Shopping
Don't leave everything until the last moment. Rushing will
just
make you tired and more stressed. Get you Christmas shopping
done early, so you don't have to spend hours fighting other
shoppers for the last doll or Christmas turkey.
Don't over spend. It is very easy at Christmas time to spend
too
much and put yourself in a financial hole for a good part
of the
new year. Decide before you go shopping how much you can afford
to spend and stick to your budget. Shopping early will help
you
stick to a budget as you will not be in a last minute panic,
picking up anything that may be suitable regardless of the
cost.
If money is a little tight for you or some of your family
members there are a couple of ways you can reduce your spending
costs. Together you could decide that all gifts should be
handmade or second hand. Or you could all decide that each
of you will only buy for one
other person. This way instead of spending $5 on 10 people
and getting them all little cute but junky things you spend
$50 on one person and get them something that they will really
appreciate. Decide between the family an amount that everyone
is to spend and then draw names out of a hat to see who you
will shop for.
Wrap the presents as soon as you can after buying them -
that
will leave one less thing to do on Christmas eve.
Christmas Cooking
Again planning is very important. You don't have to do it
all
yourself. Ask members of your family to bring something along.
This way the chore is shared amongst many and everyone can
feel
like they have contributed.
See what preparations can be made a few days before hand.
The
plum pudding and mince tarts can be made weeks before hand.
Do
what you can, but make sure everything is stored at a safe
temperature. You can wash the potatoes but they will go black
if
you peel them. Dealing with the Unpleasant Relatives
At Christmas time we can be thrown together with people that
we
would really rather not have anything with. Do your best to
be
pleasant to them but if they cross the line and say something
that is rude stay calm. Do not attack them back; let them
know
that you do not appreciate their comments and that you would
rather here positive comments about yourself and other members
of your family.
Do your best not to let the comments of one person spoil
your
day. Try not to dwell on any negativity. Instead think about
the
things you are enjoying about the day and go and find someone
you do get along well with and talk to them.
Alcohol can increase your emotional reactions to any situation
so only drink in moderation.
One final word
Make sure that you look after yourself with appropriate
exercise, relaxation, sleep and a healthy diet on the days
leading up to Christmas. When we are feeling fit and energetic
we are able to cope so much more easily with the ups and downs
of life. However if we are already feeling tired and stressed
any little thing can overwhelm us and this can make Christmas
day more tension and tiresome.
About the author:
Kerry-Ann Cox, author and healer, has just released her new
book 'The Stress Free Mind - new ways of thinking and looking
at life to reduce your stress levels' Find our more at http://www.exaltedliving.com/stress.htm
