Christmas is a wonderful opportunity to escape from the tedious daily routine, but it can also become the most stressful time of the year. You have to worry about Christmas preparations, shop for presents, organize the Christmas dinner and think of fun family activities to do.
Here are some holiday stress relief tips that can help you beat the stress this year:
- Learn to say “No”. Be gentle to yourself and enjoy the things that make you happy. If you feel that all of the tasks around Christmas preparations are too much to handle, just say “No”.
- Surround yourself with positive people. This will charge you with positive energy and help you keep calm at Christmas.
- Keep things under control. Don’t try to complete all of your Christmas goals in one day. Set realistic goals and try to complete one or two of them per day. This way you will have enough time for every single task and you will feel satisfied after you complete it.
- You don’t have to follow traditions cause additional stress or make you feel uncomfortable. There is no right or wrong way to celebrate the holidays.
- If you have a strict budget, stick to it! Christmas isn’t about spending money, it’s about spending time together.
Christmas Presents
Who doesn’t like Christmas presents? There isn’t a bigger thrill than opening the gifts under the Christmas tree in the morning. However, if you are the one who buys the presents and have a big family and lots of friends, this can cost you a lot and overload you with stress. Here’s how to reduce the holiday stress around Christmas presents this year:
- Buy individual presents only for the children.
- Have s Secret Santa or White Elephant gift exchange. This way everyone will end up with a gift and you only have to buy one present.
- Set a strict limit on the cost of Christmas presents.
All the Small Things
There are many small things that can cause stress to build up during the holidays. Try these tips:
- Use relaxation techniques. Focus on your breathing. Try to clear your mind for a few minutes and concentrate on inner peace.
- Don’t try to beat the stress with alcohol, cigarettes or other drugs. They won’t make you feel better. You can lower stress levels by doing something nice for yourself. Read a book, take an exercise class, or treat yourself to a relaxing bath or a warm cup of tea.
- Buy all of your Christmas decorations and necessities, like cards and wrapping paper, right after Christmas. Take advantage of all the sales!
- Avoid topics that trigger family arguments. Christmas isn’t the right time to talk about politics, sports and other. Instead of this, try to think of fun family activities to do after lunch or dinner.
Article adapted from Natural News.
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