5 Tips to Beat The Christmas Stress

5 Tips on Beating the Christmas Stress and Anxiety 🎄🎅🏻

Every year those Black Friday emails spring into our inboxes and just keep on coming, This year, it feels like I’ve been hounded by them for months - They get earlier every year and I don’t know about you, but I’m sick of them… 

The invites are never-ending, the school admin is piling up and you’ve still got more than a month left at work - if you’re lucky enough to get Christmas off, that is! 

And, before long you’re wondering how on earth your bank balance and social battery is going to survive hit after hit. 

Well, don’t worry… Because I’ve got some helpful tips to see you through the run-up to Christmas ⬇️

🎄 Ditch the adds! 

I think one of my top tips this year is to switch off from anything you don’t want to see. Targeted adds are so clever now, sometimes it feels like you just have to think about something and it shows up on your phone.

If you’re finding that you’re getting a lot of targeted adds via social media and emails that’s piling on the pressure to spend money you’d rather not. You can usually hide these and opt-in to ‘stop seeing them’ or ‘unsubscribe’ to emails. This can help to save money, decrease pressure and stop you feeling obliged to buy presents before you’re ready to. 

Take charge this Christmas and decide on what you’re happy to see!

☃️ Set boundaries with invites 

It’s lovely to be invited to things, no one wants to feel lonely, especially at Christmas but sometimes we can feel obliged to say yes when we mean no. Sometimes difficult family dynamics mean that we feel we have to be around people, or enter environments we would usually steer clear from and there are often family members we don’t want to upset so we end up hurting ourselves in the process. These feelings aren’t easy to manage.

There are other ways to say no, if that word feels too blunt and communicating with loved ones beforehand, where you can, can help to make that easier. For example, letting them know that you’d like to meet up with them but can’t make the event or time they’ve suggested, if you feel able to, you could explain why.

It’s also hard to be boundaried around invites when Fomo creeps in. Think about what works for you and whether you’d be happier going or sitting this one out. Making time boundaries is useful so you can go along without feeling as if you’ve given your whole day away.

Remember, it’s ok to say no, people usually understand. 

🎅🏻 Spend wisely 

Most people feel the pressure of money and gift giving around Christmas. We work ourselves up into a frenzy trying to buy and find the perfect gift for those special (and sometimes not so special) people in our lives. Every year we all know someone, maybe it’s yourself, who is struggling to afford food, warmth or gifts for their own children, yet they’re still bending over backwards trying to buy gifts for extended family and friends.

It's easy to feel the pressure and get carried away with spending around Christmas but please, stick to your budget. If that budget is £0 then let it be £0. Would your loved ones want you going into debt and becoming ill with worry, stress and anxiety over a present?

There are lots of low or no cost ways to show love at Christmas – the gift of time, love, skill, crafting, baking, and babysitting are all welcomed options. I believe if more of us were honest about this one, Christmas could be a happier and less stressful time.

⭐️ No Comparisons 

During a time where we simply pick up our phones and are transported into millions of peoples Christmas’s in seconds, it’s nearly impossible not to make comparisons. Even comparing this Christmas to last or to a future Christmas when things may be ‘better’ or ‘different’. We’re all guilty of making comparisons but they steal the joy we could be creating in the present moment.

This is YOUR Christmas, spend it how you want and need to. When you look back, you’ll be looking at your memories and nobody else’s.

❄️ Make time for self-care 

As wonderful as Christmas is, it’s also a busy time of year and that means that self-care takes a nosedive. Don’t let everything you’ve learned this year slip, make time for yourself and the things you need - whatever that looks like for you.

I have lots of posts on my Instagram to support with self-care, anxiety and stress if you want to have a look: https://www.instagram.com/jodiemccormack_counselling/ ❄️🎄