How to have a happy Christmas

Rescue Remedy has teamed up with Neil Shah, Chief De-Stressor at The Stress Management Society to help make Christmas a breeze: Christmas. A time for friends and family, cosy evenings by the fire, Christmas carols and delicious food.  Whether you put your Christmas tree up on the 1st December (or in November) or put it up on Christmas Eve, 90% of Brits will be embracing the tradition and ensuring our homes are festive for the season. But with all the festive cheer and jolly activities going on, are any of us secretly biting our nails at getting everything done in time? A survey by Rescue Remedy® has found there are a few Christmas niggles which can threaten to ruin the fun. Top of the list is buying presents for friends and family with a massive 65% finding it a struggle. Next up is the 16% of us feeling concerned about all the cooking that needs to be done and 10% about hosting all the family. Other niggles can range from money worries to boredom

Get Organised And Plan Ahead

With so many activities to accomplish this festive period, lists can go a long way. They will help you keep a record of what needs to be done and when they need to done. Make a to-do list and check things off as you go along so that Christmas day doesn’t creep up on you. This includes jotting down important dates such as the last Christmas post to ensure your Christmas cards and presents get sent on time!

Don’t Be A Perfectionist

With the above said, having a realistic expectation of how Christmas should be will help you overcome trying to make everything “perfect”. Christmas is about enjoyment and not stressing over perfection. This will inevitably add more pressure on you. Create buffer times; times where you do things slowly and peacefully. This may be decorating the tree for example. This can be a relaxing activity and, remember, making a memorable day is much more important than everything having to be perfect. So don’t fret over perfection - just enjoy!

Think Small Gifts

Gift-buying is definitely one of the most stressful aspects of Christmas. It isn’t always easy to find quirky and interesting gift ideas to keep things different every year. But think small. Having several creative stocking stuffers over one big gift will perhaps give you a better chance of giving a present they will like, or just make the gift-opening process much more entertaining.

There’s No Harm In Delegation

Christmas is all about family. Get the kids involved – they can help decorate the house and help wrap presents. Even many shops and online vendors offer wrapping services so alternatively you get a little extra help from them, taking more weight off your shoulders. Christmas dinner applies here too. Cooking alone can leave you frazzled. You never know, getting the family involved can make everyone feel helpful and give them a sense of belonging where it can actually change a stressful experience into something fun.

Take Care Of Yourself

Christmas may be a season to be jolly, but that doesn’t mean you won’t be tempted to indulge in nicotine, alcohol, caffeine and refined sugar products especially if you are feeling overwhelmed. Instead, keep yourself and your guests well hydrated by drinking water or even herbal teas. What better way to keep you warm, than a cup of hot tea during the month of December!

Remember To Enjoy The Day!

Ensuring you and your loved ones enjoy the day is the most important thing. Don’t spend the build up to Christmas or Christmas itself worrying, fretting and stressing. Remember to keep calm. If you find yourself getting stressed, doing some simple breathing techniques will help you to relax.

• Sit or stand in a relaxed position
• Slowly inhale through your nose, counting to five
• Let the air out from your mouth, counting to eight
• Repeat several times!
• Laugh about things that go wrong, they will make funny memories to look back on in the future.

A little bit of extra support...

If you are having one of those days why not stop and take a moment out with RESCUE. Rescue Remedy is a specially blended combination of five Bach™ Original Flower Essences - the flower essences of Star of Bethlehem, Clematis, Impatiens, Rock Rose and Cherry Plum. Keep on top of your day with Rescue Remedy by your side. It can be used anytime, anywhere and is suitable for all the family. www.rescueremedy.co.uk