For most of us, Christmas time is a welcome opportunity to get together with family and friends, exchange gifts, enjoy some time away from work, and generally eat, drink and make merry.
But not everyone feels the same way about the festive season. In fact, for some it can be a pretty stressful few weeks, with the sparkle overshadowed by the obligation to entertain, socialise, feed the five thousand, ensure the house is immaculate, the fridge is stocked and the tree is surrounded by budget busting presents.
Before you know it, the very thought of spreading Christmas cheer by singing loud for all to hear, is just too much. And in creeps overwhelm, anxiety and stress. Three items no one included on their Christmas list…
So what can you do about it? How can you stay stress-free this Christmas?
Prepare
We’ve all heard the old adage ‘you can’t pour from an empty cup’ – but how true it is. Take care of yourself in the lead up to the big day. Bag some vitamin C, echinacea and black elderberry to help fight off the flu, while super-charging your diet with citrus fruits, leafy greens, nuts, seeds and green tea to keep your immune system firing on all cylinders.
Give yourself headspace by committing everything to paper. Make lists, create timetables, set calendar deadlines and remove the stress by getting everything done ahead of time.
Delegate
One of the simplest ways to avoid stress this Christmas is to hand over responsibility for some of the work to someone else. Grab that to-do list, arm yourself with a highlighter and mark all the items that a friend or family member could do. Then sit back with a nice cup of tea. Or cheeky eggnog.
Breathe
One of the most effective ways of avoiding stress is to increase the flow of oxygen around your body. Deep, slow breaths throughout the day is a great place to start, supported by the use of supplemental oxygen, taken at intervals.
Sleep
Good sleep hygiene is key to remaining in fine fettle during the festive season. Make it a habit during December to wake up and go to sleep at the same time each day. Sleep is restorative and helps keep stress levels manageable. Indulge in early bed times and hot bubble baths before if you can.
Go outside
There’s nothing better for your mental or physical health than the great outdoors. Walking in the fresh air is a known stress reliever. Take in your surroundings, inhale calm and exhale the overwhelm. All the better if you can do it daily.
Drink it all in
Remember to stop and take a minute to reflect on all you have to be grateful for this Christmas. It’s hard to remain stressed when you’re consciously counting your blessings.
