Christmas is painted to be a time when families come together under one roof for a period of celebration, good food, great conversation and a paper hat or two. However, in reality, what often occurs is that a group of people who happen to be related are trapped together for what seems like weeks in one house with little opportunity for relaxation and enjoyment, leading to Christmas Stress.
What also doesn’t help is that at this time of year, adults tend to be a bit stressed anyway. There’s the financial pressure of having to buy gifts for the kids as well as meeting all the usual bills and then there’s all the stress involved in getting all the food, decorations and entertainment organised. It’s safe to say that the festive season can really fray your nerves.
So, if you are one of the many that this applies to, how can you really ever enjoy Christmas the way it is supposed to be enjoyed? With this in mind, we’ve put together 5 tips on making it all the way to New Year’s Day as calm as possible and without any friction or arguments in sight.
Tip 1 – Do Your Christmas Shopping Online
There’s nothing more likely to raise your blood pressure than being jostled and buffeted as you search for your festive gifts. Shopping is stressful at the best of times, but throw in a few hundred more people and the heat of the Auckland Summer and it can push a person to breaking point.
Since the advent of the internet, it’s now possible to get everything you need from the comfort of your own home and even find some bargains at the same time.
Tip 2 – Don’t Build Up the Day Too Much
Christmas for some is a long time coming and the day itself can be built up in the minds of children and adults alike to a degree that’s often not realistic. If things go wrong on the big day, try and accept that you did your best to make the day go well and for some reason, it didn’t go as planned.
If you go into the festive period with realistic expectations, you won’t get stressed when things don’t go as you’d hoped.
Tip 3 – Try Not to Do Everything Yourself
Whilst it might be a nice idea to prepare everything yourself so that your family can relax during Christmas, there is most often a lot of things to do. If you find that you’re struggling to keep up with what needs doing, get the rest of the family involved and you’ll soon feel less like you’ve got the weight of the world on your shoulders.
Tip 4 – Take Some Time Out for Yourself
A nice walk in the park can do wonders for your mood, particularly if it’s something that gets you out of the emotionally charged atmosphere at home. Even if it’s just for half an hour, your stress levels will drop dramatically and you can return to the fray refreshed, re-energised and ready to start enjoying Christmas again.
Tip 5 – Try and Stick To Normal Bed Times
When the kids are off school and you’re off work, there can be a tendency to let the children stay up past their usual bedtime and for you and your guests to burn the midnight oil. This might sound like fun, but if the kids end up overtired as a result and you yourself are a bit worse for wear, it can all get a bit stressful your nerves can end up jangling.
It’s better to stick to your normal routine, let everyone get a good night’s sleep and the mood will most certainly be a lighter one.
Christmas Stress – Ever Thought of Hypnotherapy?
Of course, sometimes relaxing isn’t as simple as following a set of tips and in this instance, hypnotherapy can be a great way to reduce anxiety and cope with everyday stresses. Able to help you take control of your mind using the power of positive suggestion, it is an extremely effective way of reducing the physical and psychological symptoms of stress.
Christmas doesn’t have to be full of stress. You just need to learn how to cope with it.
