Does the anticipation of Christmas cause more anxiety than joy? Do your stress levels skyrocket because of Christmas preparations? Ease your Christmas stress by getting organized, staying active, and getting enough sleep, among other things. Put these tips into practice to manage your Christmas stress, and you’ll make it through December feeling zen.
Plan and Prepare
Christmas Eve is a time of great anticipation. It’s a good idea to start your Christmas preparations well in advance so that all your tasks and the rush don’t pile up in the last week before Christmas Eve. Ease the rush and stress by planning your tasks and writing them down. Once you’ve listed the tasks you need to do, schedule them according to urgency and importance. Spread the tasks out over as many days—or even weeks—as possible so you don’t have to tackle a long to-do list all at once.
Buy your gifts well in advance of Christmas, plan your menu, write out your shopping list, and start making your Christmas decorations right away. You can also go shopping for Christmas foods and treats that keep well at the beginning of Christmas week and save only the perishable items and those with short shelf lives for the last few days before Christmas Eve.
Be sure to write down any other tasks or things that come to mind. That way, your brain won’t be overloaded with a million things to remember, and you can check off the tasks you’ve completed. Another good option is to delegate tasks to other family members. Don’t try to handle everything yourself!
Relax and work up a sweat
When you're busy, it's easy to forget to take care of yourself. Remember to stick to the things that promote your well-being, even in December. Of course, exercise is a great way to counterbalance the stress of Christmas preparations.
Relaxation is, of course, an effective way to balance out a high heart rate and overexcitement. For this purpose, the body maintenance and yoga classes available in the group exercise or virtual class selection work wonderfully. Even half an hour of relaxation helps, but you’ll get an even better effect from, for example, a yoga class lasting over an hour, where you can clear your mind and just be.
For some people, a good, intense workout and a good sweat are the best way to relieve stress. Make sure you find time to work up a sweat at least a couple of times a week for at least half an hour at a time. Group exercise classes work well in this case, too, since you can clear your head and just go with the flow of the group. Lifting heavy weights or going for a run with headphones on is also a great way to clear your head.
Make sure you get a good night's sleep
Fatigue and stress combined can get on anyone’s nerves. Make sure you don’t keep working on Christmas preparations late into the night or stay up too late otherwise. Wrap up your evening activities early and wind down with some reading, stretching, or even watching a TV show (just be careful not to binge-watch too many episodes in one night).
Set a goal for your bedtime and try to stick to it. Because of the darkness, you may need up to half an hour more sleep to feel refreshed. And even if you’re exhausted, don’t overdo it with caffeine, or you won’t be able to fall asleep the next night.
Don't replace meals with treats
When you’re tired and stressed, you tend to put whatever you can get your hands on into your mouth—which is probably Christmas treats and chocolate. You can probably guess that eating large amounts of sugar doesn’t make things any easier.
Of course, you can indulge in treats in December, but don’t replace snacks or proper meals with them. So eat four to six healthy meals a day and enjoy the treats on top of that. When you don’t give in to treats while you’re hungry, you won’t end up gorging on them either. And under no circumstances should you go Christmas shopping on an empty stomach!
If you eat more treats or Christmas food in one sitting, don’t feel guilty about it and fast the next day, because you’ll probably just end up repeating the cycle the day after that. You can also choose not to eat Christmas treats—you can save them for next year or even give them away.
When the whole Christmas season feels overwhelming
The Christmas hype starts as early as September, so by the time December rolls around, many people may already have had enough. When the whole Christmas season starts to get to you, take more drastic measures. Stick to your own daily routines and politely decline any extra Christmas fuss. Let others enjoy the Christmas spirit in peace, and if necessary, create some distance and take some time for yourself. So remember to relax, and don’t let other people’s Christmas stress get to you.
Back to Normal Life After Christmas
Do you also experience post-Christmas anxiety? Make the return to everyday life easier by maintaining your normal daily routines even in the run-up to Christmas. You can also ease back into your daily routine gradually—there’s no need to stop celebrating Christmas abruptly. Keep your mind sharp and your stress under control throughout December, so you’ll have more energy to cope after Christmas.