Staying Sane in the Run-Up to Christmas

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The run-up to Christmas is often one of the most stressful times of year for many people, especially for those of us who have kids. There is so much to do to get ready for the big day and so much pressure to ensure that the celebrations go off without a hitch, that we can end up driving ourselves mad.

If that sounds all too familiar to you, and you want to ensure that the period leading up to Christmas is a much more pleasant, stress-free one this year, here are a few things you should do.

Plan in advance

One of the best ways to avoid losing your head in the run-up to Christmas is to plan as much as you can as far in advance as you can. Yes, it might seem weird thinking about Christmas weeks, even months before the big day, but if you can get things sorted like how many people will be coming for dinner, what you plan to buy the kids, how much traveling you will be doing, and so on, you can plan to get everything done in a stress-free way in the lead-up, and you will be able to find more time to relax.

Share the load

Some people, especially moms, think they need to take on the burden of Christmas alone. They want everything to be perfect and they think that they need to be in control of every aspect of the planning as result. This really is not the case. You can hand off various tasks to other members of the family and it will work out fine. So, let the kids scour the internet for the perfect Christmas tree images for your blog’s festive theme, allow your husband to handle sourcing the turkey and organizing the invitations for your holiday guests, and ensure as much of the load is shared as possible and you will have a much less stressful time of it. You really don’t have to do it all.

Do it all in advance

If you want the run-up to Christmas to be as easy as possible, then do everything you can do in advance of time. From buying and wrapping your Christmas gifts, to making decorations, there are so many aspects of Christmas you can do far in advance of the day itself. Heck, you can even cook various elements of your Christmas meal ahead of time and freeze it so that you can actually kick back and relax on Christmas day instead of running around the kitchen like a headless chicken.

Say no more often

During the holiday season, it is not unusual for us to receive far more invitations to parties and events than we usually do. If you don’t want to feel frazzled in the run-up to Christmas, it would be sensible to start saying no to more of those invitations. Obviously, if you want to attend an event you should do so and it would probably be a bad idea to say no to the kids’ nativity play, but if you don’t want to do it, say no and do not feel guilty about it because you deserve to enjoy the holiday season just as much as anyone else.

Simplify

Of course, the one thing that will really help you to stay sane is opting for a simpler, more minimalist Christmas with just close family members and a nice low-key dinner on the day, maybe some party games and a festive movie with the kids. This kind of Christmas might sound basic, but it can be a lot more enjoyable because you will be a lot less stressed!

Plan some fun activities

Getting ready for Christmas can be a lot of work, especially if you are planning an elaborate celebration, so it can be good to ensure that you have lots of little things to look forward to in the run-up to the big day, For example, you could plan some fun Christmas crafts to do with the kids, book a holiday tip to see Santa, indulge in some retail therapy, or even just carve some time out where you can relax in your favorite chair with a glass of egg-nog and a good book. The festive season should be fun!

As you can see, there are lots of things you can do to ensure that the run-up to Christmas is far less stressful and far more enjoyable than ever before, because the holidays really should not have such a negative impact on your wellbeing.