Top 10 tips for a stress free Christmas

Christmas is a wonderful time of year, but it can also be extremely stressful. We need to juggle so many extra activities and tasks that sometimes we forget to stop and enjoy ourselves. I am determined that this year I will be enjoying a stress free Christmas so below are my ten top tips to help make that happen.

Decorating

  • Don’t get yourself into a knot

I don’t know about you, but Christmas decorations stress me out. I don’t mind putting up the Christmas tree but untangling the Christmas lights is my idea of a nightmare. To help make this a stress free Christmas I have been looking at Taskers Online who have Pre Lit Christmas Trees. Not having to wind lights around the Christmas tree will make life a lot easier.

  • Less is more

Do you ever see those houses that are all lit up with lights everywhere? Can you imagine taking all of them down again? We still have Christmas lights wrapped around our front fence from last year because I couldn’t be bothered to take them off again. When decorating you house I think that less is more, and a few festive touches here and there can make the house feel festive without all the stress.

 Family Time

  • Clear the diary

Spending time together as a family is something I love about Christmas but all the different social occasions and the expectations that go with them pile on the stress. This year I am clearing my diary of all non-essential activities. We will be going to a Panto and will enjoy a visit to Santa but apart from that we are looking forward to spending time relaxing as a family.

  • Spend time together

To carry on from the last point, spending time with friends and family is good for the soul. Laughing, chatting and generally having a good time releases feel good hormones. The time you spend with those you love will make you feel better and help to make your Christmas stress free.

Presents

  • Write a list and check it twice

Write a list of everyone that you need to buy for and keep it with you. When you buy a gift for that person then write what you bought next to their name. This will prevent you from buying for them again by accident and give you a visual reminder of who you have still to buy for. I know that I am awful at forgetting what I have bought so doing this has really helped to take the pressure off.

  • Get it gift wrapped

One of my pet hates at Christmas is wrapping presents which is even worse when I buy so many. Most shopping malls have charity gift wrap counters now where you can pay for someone else to wrap your gifts and I will be visiting our local one very soon.

Christmas Dinner 

  • Beat the rush

When it comes to Christmas dinner I am a sucker for online shopping, the idea of traipsing around the supermarkets at their busiest just doesn’t appeal to me. However, if you have not yet booked your Christmas food delivery slot then you might be out of luck. Thankfully some supermarkets allow you to order and collect your food at a designated time which will really help to keep stress levels low and prevent you from forgetting something.

  • Use time savers

Cooking a Christmas dinner takes hours of preparation and cooking. I love cooking it but I do also take advantage of time saving products such as pre wrapped pigs in blankets or a joint of meat such as a Turkey Crown that has already been stuffed. These small changes can make a huge time and effort saving on the day which helps to keep me stress free.

 

Well being

  • Go Outside

Looking after your health and wellbeing at this time of year is something that many people forget which leads to being run down and catching all manner of illnesses. We love going for a brisk walk in the fresh winter air. Just getting outside for an hour or two can make you feel so much better and if that could be walking in a forest or a park then even better. Try to avoid walking around a city centre or similar where you may experience sensory overload and try to take it easy.

  • Relax it’s Christmas

My final point which will help you to achieve a stress free Christmas is to make sure you take time for yourself. A hot bath, a good book and a glass of something special will really help you to recharge. You could even enjoy an early night or two something I certainly need to me more open to than I normally am.