We all know what Christmas means… pressure, extensive preparation and seriously cold weather. It is possibly one of the most stressful times of the year and the events of the holiday can really take it out of you. The best way to get through the festivities is to be prepared! Make sure you have everything covered long in advance and try to think of every eventuality. It sounds like an impossible task but it isn’t, it can be done and it will save you a lot of panic and anxiety.
So, what do you need to do to get through Christmas Day and the days which follow without risking a breakdown?
Presents are the biggest part of the holiday, obviously, and there is a lot of pressure on getting it right. You will no doubt spend hours frantically trying to find a gift for the many people you have to buy for. To relieve the pressure go with smellies. You can’t go wrong with nice box sets of bath salts, moisturisers or even fragrances. Companies such as Brosch Direct have a selection of beauty supplies to fit pretty much everyone.
Go down the sentimental route with presents, think personalised calendars, a framed picture or a token gift, relating to a favourite city or hobby, anything that may appeal to a person’s interests.
And, if the worst happens, and you receive a gift you really don’t like, then just pretend. Just act like you are overly happy with the present to spare the givers feelings and save you from looking ungrateful.
Creating a culinary masterpiece is no easy task and you are likely to spend hours in the kitchen, slaving away over a hot stove, in a desperate bid to make an edible meal. Stick with tradition, if you are really struggling and even consider cheating slightly, with pre-packaged foods and microwave extras, just to give you a helping hand.
After the gifts and the dinner are done, you will need to keep yourself and your guests entertained. Putting the television on is the obvious cure for boredom but making sure you have a variety of board games, consoles and box sets will give people a bit more variety.
After the day is coming to an end, you are shattered and are desperate to go to bed but you still have a houseful of guests which is quite a dilemma. The usual yawning and stretching and mentioning how tired you are every few minutes normally works but if all else fails then just be blunt. It is your house, you prepared the day and now you want some much needed me time. It’s perfectly understandable.
The most important thing to do is to try to relax. Christmas Day only becomes stressful if you allow it to. Have fun and try to encourage others to help you with the dinner and the entertaining to take the heat off you.
To really survive Christmas it could be wise to have a holiday, weekend break or even a spa day booked for after the festivities. It will give you something else to look forward to and it will make the stress of Christmas seem unimportant as you recover and recuperate in style.
This is a guest post by Debbie Fletcher. She is an enthusiastic, experienced writer who has written for a range of difference magazines and news publications. Follow her here: @Debbie_Fletch18. Image via http://thetimefinder.com/tag/boundary-template/
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