Christmas is coming...
Every adult knows the real drill about the most wonderful time of the year: endless shopping lists, extra spending, huge workload before holidays and family turmoil can be exhausting and overwhelming. If you find Christmas time challenging for whatever reason, we are here to help you out. Here are several tips that can help you enjoy a stress-free Christmas!
BE PREPARED
The first thing you need to do is to acknowledge that your schedule for December will probably be busy. It doesn’t mean you have to overextend yourself. Breathe in, breathe out and find time to plan everything ahead: set the dates for paying your bills, cleaning your house, pre-writing holiday postcards, catching up on your working tasks, planning out your calendar of when you’ll see your family and friends. After placing everything in order on paper or in your head, the number of tasks in front of you won't feel that scary.
SET BOUNDARIES
Setting boundaries during Christmas is a must for staying sane. As early as you can, compose a gifts budget and stick to it, set your priorities and decide which activities you’re going to skip. Let's face it: no one can do all the things during the Christmas season. You don’t have to say yes to every invitation, every extra spending, to be involved in every activity. Prioritise your mental wellbeing over social expectations, even if these are expectations of your family and loved ones.
TAKE TIME FOR YOURSELF
Try to schedule at least a few hours a day where you don’t have to do anything. No Christmas preparations, no cleaning, nothing. December is all about fuss but you need the energy to be able to fuss. The goal is not to let the outside commotion disturb your inner peace of mind. Remember: stress can negatively affect your hormonal health, causing some unwanted backfires later. Lower the bar you set for yourself - not everything should be perfect, but your body would certainly thank you for taking extra care of yourself this December.
FOCUS ON WHAT'S IMPORTANT FOR YOU
Christmas is not a commitment - if you don't want it to be so. Find what works for you and do it: spend Christmas alone, if you so desire, gift yourself that expensive thing you've been lusting over because you deserve it and don't try to make everyone around you happy at the expense of your wellbeing.
Christmas is different for everybody. Stress can occur not only from the hustle but from its absence, too. If you find this time of the year extra challenging or lonely, know that the Temporal Matters team is always there for you. Let’s make this time of the year truly wonderful and healthy!
