Christmas can be a very stressful time of year. So let us help keep you calm! We want you to be able to relax and enjoy yourself.
Plan Ahead
Make a list! Try to prioritise the items on your list: can they be done now, and are they essential? Do not over estimate how much you can achieve on ChristmasEve and Christmas Day. Delegate the responsibility for certain tasks to other family members since this will reduce your workload. Keep your list for next year; it’ll need tweaking and updating but will give you reminders of the sorts of things you need to think about.
Shop Online
As much as possible, shop online from the comfort of your own home! You’ll not only save time and be less stressed but will probably save money too. Always make sure you buy from reputable online retailers and check that they can deliver before the big day. If you haven’t already tried it, you can do your food shopping online too and have it delivered directly to your door.
Kknow When to Stop
Decide when you will stop your Christmas preparations and start to relax and enjoy the holiday. Work towards and try to stick to this goal, even if it is in the late afternoon on Christmas Eve. Remember that Christmas is your holiday too.
Keep Calm
Play some relaxing music, perhaps seasonal carols, and burn some scented candles or aromatherapy oil. Take a relaxing hot batch to unwind. Come in to Tiaki for a yoga class!
Practise Breathing
When we’re stressed our heart beat increases and our breathing shallows. Work on reversing this process and take time to breathe deeply. Breathe in deeply through your nose, hold for 15 or 20 seconds and then breathe slowly out through your mouth, repeat for a few minutes to instantly help reduce stressful feelings.
Have an Escape Plan
It’s a good idea to have some pre-planned excuses to escape from proceedings if they get too stressful. Be imaginative and use things such as leaving the room to make a phone call to a friend or perhaps checking on a neighbour. Just by having planned a couple of escape routes you’ll probably feel less stressed anyway but actually leaving the situation, even for 10 minutes, will help clear your mind and relax you. of course, we think the best escape is a class at Tiaki!
Make Time for Exercise
Christmas can be a time of excessive eating and drinking, and exercise can be easily overlooked. Exercise is a great way to reduce stress as it burns off hormones such as cortisol and adrenaline and helps produce mood-enhancing endorphins. Try going for a walk after your Christmas meal, as the fresh air and exercise will lift your mood and make you feel better. Tiaki will be running at least 2 classes every day during the Christmas break – we’re only closed on the stat days!
Avoid Excessive Alcohol
Most de-stressing articles will tell you to avoid alcohol altogether but, let’s be realistic, it is Christmas! However, do avoid excessive alcohol as it dehydrates your body and makes your liver work overtime to process it. Drink as much water or juice as alcohol as this will help you to stay hydrated, feel better and therefore cope better with stressful situations. You’ll also feel better on Boxing Day!
Have Fun!
Remember it’s your Christmas too so try to relax and have fun, laugh and be merry.
Have a great, stress-free, Christmas break
