When I am stressed I eat. The nearer Christmas time is, the more I get stressed. Does this mean that the nearer Christmas is, the more I eat? Sometimes! And I suppose it is not just me who feels this way. So how do we deal with the Christmas stress? Here are some tips that you can bear in mind as Christmas fast approaches.
Create a new method of gift giving.
I don’t know about you but in my family, the tradition is to give gifts to everyone. If you come from a big extended family, this will certainly put a strain on your budget. In order to avoid the stress that comes with astronomical spending, you could come up with a new scheme. Here are some ideas:
–Give gifts to the kids only. This will definitely lessen the number of gifts that you have to buy.
–Have an exchange gift. This will lessen your shopping even more since you only really have to buy one gift.
–Set a limit to the cost. This works especially for the exchange gift scheme. Put a cap to how much the gift can be. Make sure you get the consensus of everyone.
Keep your relationships in focus.
Sometimes, we tend to have great expectations when Christmas comes around. We think that everyone has to be happier, more giving, and nicer. Think about it – if you have been a certain way all year, who is to say that you will suddenly have a transformation for Christmas? It’s highly unlikely. As such, do not expect miracles. Be realistic – there will be tensions between people, irritable and moody people will probably have their moments. Deal with them the best way you can and don’t let glitches ruin your holidays.
Originally posted on December 6, 2008 @ 3:45 pm