Every year the preparations for Christmas seem to start earlier.
In the UK, advertising and promotions in shops, on TV and on social media start to appear from as early as October! It’s easy to start to feel overwhelmed by it all as the big day gets closer.
It’s not too late for you to regain control and to start enjoying the build-up to the big day. Here are some things I do to prepare myself and alleviate some of the pressure, enabling me to relax and enjoy this time of the year.
- Firstly, in the last week of November, I remind myself that it’s only one day and everything is going to be OK. I then make a list of all the things that actually need doing, which things I can delegate and who I can delegate them to. I also make sure I include some fun things to do too.
- Then, with love and kindness, I speak to the people who can help me and delegate tasks to them. They are usually happy to help and to feel part of the process.
- I put dates against each item on my list, and to make life easier, I add items to my weekly shopping list. There are lots of things you can now get with your supermarket shop.
- All the things I need to buy I put on a list and carry it with me, ticking things off as I get them. I also have a budget and I stick to it! Lots of stores start to have 20% off events in November, so if there’s anything on my list from these stores I will get them early. It takes away the stress of trying to find things in late December.
- Anything I can buy online I order in and have them delivered on days that I know I’m going to be in. So that I don’t feel that I’m just waiting in, I use that day to write cards, wrap presents, put the tree and decorations up etc.
- By 15th December I have everything wrapped, all decorations are up, anything for posting is on its way and all non-perishable foods are in the cupboards.
Over the next few days, I spend time feeling less stressed doing more fun things. The key things for me are:-
* to be prepared,
* not to over-stretch myself and
* to ask for help.
All this makes for a less stressful and a more enjoyable build-up to the Christmas holiday break.
There are lots of things you can put into place now to make the rest of your December less stressful. You’ve got this!
About Sharon
Sharon lives with her partner Geoff in Warwickshire and they have two adult children. She worked for over 25 years in an office environment, gaining qualifications to degree level in finance, business, and management. While there Sharon witnessed and experienced many stressful situations and suffered illnesses that were stress-related.
Sharon was advised to make some changes to her lifestyle which included trying complementary therapies. After experiencing the benefits of complementary treatments, Sharon decided to retrain and share her knowledge and experiences to help others recognise and manage their own physical and emotional stress and anxiety levels.
She has been working as a complementary therapist for over 15 years now and loves helping people manage and reduce their stress levels to feel uplifted, focused, positive and empowered about their lives.
You’ve got this!
