Be Stress Free this Christmas!
Banish Blame - Basically it is not Christmas that is stressful but our expectation of it. We have this idealistic view of Christmas that for many of us is almost impossible to achieve in reality. Be realistic and give Christmas a chance.
Keep your energy - The other stressful problem with Christmas is pure physical exhaustion. We leave everything until the last minute, rush around packed streets in awful weather, worry about money and what to buy so by the time we get to the 25th we are exhausted. Make a plan and start early.
Feed well - We stuff ourselves full of rich, high calorie food and drink, stay up until late and do little exercise and wonder why we feel so tired and irritable. Do indulge but not every hour of the day.
Don't drag it out – Christmas actually only happens over a few days but we feel compelled to buy months worth of stuff. Cut down your pre Christmas shopping time by buying what you actually need.
Take action – if you find Christmas is just the same awful routine take action now to change it. If you don't enjoy it, you will probably find that everyone else feels the same so it pays to talk.
Don't be a hero – Women in particular will take on all the work of Christmas but if other people are involved it is only right they should help out. Don't wait for help or let others do all the nice jobs but allocate jobs out now to those involved including the kids such as laying the table and supplying the mince pies.
Make your own day – if you have commitments that mean you cant change what you do on Christmas day, create your own perfect day on another day. You can buy everything in the sales and invite who you want.
Be grown up – because we all want to have a perfect Christmas we can all be more demanding than usual and more inclined to get upset if we don't get our own way. If you want peace and harmony stay calm and be prepared to negotiate.
Stay positive – if you start off moaning about Christmas you can guarantee you will hate it. Like everything, there is good and bad so focus on the good aspects and it will help you manage the bad.
Relax – Christmas is supposed to be a holiday so even if you can only escape for 20 minutes a day, make sure you do. Create your own sanctuary and give yourself a break.