Time saving tricks to take the stress out of Christmas
Holidays are notoriously stressful with so many demands on your time and budget. Compounding those problems are school closures, travel, cold weather, and illness. Staying healthy and well rested, budgeting your time and money, and planning kids' activities and other time saving tricks can take the stress out of Christmas.
It's never too early tostart planning for Christmas. Lists, spreadsheets, and calendars can do a world of good in helping take the stress out of Christmas shopping, baking, decorating, gift wrapping, and cleaning. Remember, there are only so many hours in each day. Trying to accomplish too much can take the fun out of everything you want and need to do.
Shopping for gifts, decorations, and holiday travel can take a major bite out of the family budget, adding even more stress to an already demanding time. By budgeting for the holidays, you can relax, knowing that you won't hurt your family finances. One of the simplest ways to budget for Christmas is to set up an account specifically for the holidays, and add a set amount to it each month. This spreads the cost of holiday spending over an entire year, rather than risking your January rent or mortgage payment!
Sometimes saying no is the best thing you can do to take the stress out of the holidays. If you simply do not have the time to contribute to a bake sale, attend a holiday party, or some other time-consuming activity, you can protect your sanity by setting reasonable limits.
With school closed for the holidays, it helps to have activities prearranged to keep the kids entertained, occupied, and out from under your feet. You can work with neighbors, friends, and relatives to trade off babysitting, or organize outings, such as an ice skating afternoon, movies, museums, Christmas shopping, or volunteering to help those who are less fortunate.
Your ability to deal with stress is a direct result of your health. Staying hydrated, well rested, and pampering yourself with a hot bath or some time off can boost both your mood and your immune system, helping you combat germs and depression that commonly occur during the holiday season.
Depressionis a common holiday ailment that can be avoided by being willing to ask for help and giving yourself permission to feel sad or less than perfect. First of all, perfect doesn't exist and there will be minor disasters. By accepting sadness, loneliness, and frustration as normal and temporary, they will pass more quickly, allowing you to better enjoy the holiday season. This is especially true if a loved one has been lost or other tragedy has struck during the past year. If these feelings don't pass, you should ask for help from a friend or professional who can provide reassurance and coping skills.
Many families have holiday traditions that make Christmas special and memorable. By making sure that you have the time, money, and health to enjoy these traditions, many of the stresses will simply slip away.
