Christmas
The best tips to combat holiday stress
For many people, Christmas is family time.
© Yuganov Konstantin/Shutterstock.com
Christmas should be perfect – but at any price? With these tips and tricks, the holidays will finally be more relaxed.
Lower expectations
Expectations for the celebration of love are often high. And it is usually you who places the highest demands on yourself. People often don’t notice if you only invest 80 percent instead of 100 percent. The obsession with perfection creates a lot of pressure, but things are more relaxed when expectations are lowered and self-reflection takes place: What is really important about the holidays? The priorities should then be set.
Implement food and decoration together
Even if there is a host or hostess, the rest of the family can be included in the feast. Guests can contribute starters, side dishes, desserts, cookies or wine. You can also have more fun together in advance: decorating your apartment or house and baking cookies are more fun together with children or friends.
Cleaning in the important places
If time is running short and major cleaning before Christmas is no longer possible, it is important to set priorities here too. Guests won’t notice if there is a layer of dust under the couch. The toilet and bathroom floor should definitely be clean. What else catches the eye of visitors and should therefore be clean are large areas such as shelves and tables as well as the entrance area, door handles and light switches. Cobwebs on the ceilings must also disappear; a mopped floor exudes shine and a pleasant scent. The rest can be cleaned after Christmas.
Find the right gifts
Impersonal gifts such as sweets, vouchers, cosmetic products, clothing and decorations were not well received by many recipients last Christmas, a survey showed. What can we learn from this for this year? Less consumption, more space for important things. For many adults, spending time together certainly means more than a new handbag or socks. A short trip to the nearest spa, to your favorite restaurant or to the theater is sure to have a more positive effect on the relationship. And it also saves you stressful shopping trips. So that no expectations are disappointed, you should communicate in advance that you want to change the way you give gifts this year.
Me-time instead of a party marathon
Saying no and taking breaks ensures relaxation throughout the entire Advent and Christmas season: If you plan time for exercise, a good book, a coffee chat with your best friend or a winter walk, you will stay calm, even when things get busy. In addition, the schedule can often be adjusted: some visits to relatives are also possible after the holidays, and you don’t have to be seen at every Christmas party in December.