Have a stress-free Holiday

Christmas is the most stressful time of the year, between buying presents for friends and family, the pressure of last minute shopping and ideas to make the holiday the best it can be.

Christmas doesn’t have to be a huge financial problem if new year, work out a rough budget of expected Christmas costs.

Calculate how much disposable income you have between now and Christmas. A certain percentage of this can be dedicated each week to cover your expected Christmas costs.

If you save $5, $10 or $20 per week over a year, it can provide you with a big leeway to spend on your gifts.

Buying presents for family and friends can be expensive, especially if you have a large family and a lot of friends.

There are a few things you can do to eliminate the high prices such as do a Pollyanna where everyone draws a name out of a hat and buys a present only for that person.
Also set a limit on the cost of presents so that way its fair between everyone and you don’t feel obligated to put out a lot of money for an expensive gift.

Some people don’t like shopping, while others enjoy hustling and bustling from store to store.  But the majority of us nearly 75 percent often come home without a single purchase for our efforts.

In order to eliminate this dilemma you can make a list of all the gifts you wish to buy before you go shopping. If you wait for inspiration to strike, you could be wandering aimlessly around the shopping centre for hours.

Buy a few extras, such as chocolates, just in case you forget somebody. If possible, do your Christmas shopping early – in the first week of December or even in November. Some well-organized people do their Christmas shopping gradually over the course of the year, starting with the post-Christmas sales.

You have the option of buying your gifts by mail catalogue or over the Internet. Some companies will also gift-wrap and post your presents for a small additional fee.
Stress, anxiety and depression are common around the holidays,but you can reassure yourself that these feelings are normal.

To reduce some of these feelings you can use relaxation techniques, such as deep breathing or focusing on your breath, to cope with anxiety or tension.

People under stress tend to ‘self-medicate’ with alcohol, cigarettes and other drugs. Try to remember that drugs can not solve problems or alleviate stress in the long term.

When around your family and if you know that politics or a certain subject is touchy among your family members, then avoid the subjects, and if someone brings it up, then bring something else up to talk about it.

To get organized with your presents you can write up a Christmas card list and keep it in a safe place so that you can refer to it and add or delete names year after year. Plan to write your Christmas cards in early December.

Remember Christmas cards with ‘Card only’ marked on the envelope can be posted at a reduced rate during November and December.

Arrange to send cards or presents in the first half of December, to avoid disappointments.  For great savings, buy Christmas necessities such as cards, wrapping paper, ribbons and decorations at post-Christmas sales.

It’s easy to let yourself go when you are off school and work, but remember that too much food and alcohol is harmful, and drunk driving is a real danger and is illegal.

Get enough sleep, plan for as many early nights as you can.  Also keeping up your regular exercise routine can give you the fitness and stamina to make it through the demands of the festive season.