Christmas should be the most contemplative and quiet time at the end of the year. The work is done and even nature takes a break in winter. But the practice often looks very different. We reveal tips and tricks on how to get through the holidays relaxed and stress-free.
Did I get all the presents? Has the Christmas dinner been prepared and the cookies baked? Have all invitations been answered? And when do we have to be at which family Christmas party again? Stress, let it go!
The pre-Christmas period causes enormous stress for many people. Too much has to be considered, planned, organized and done. In addition, there are still many things that need to be completed before the end of the year at work and many companies are closed between Christmas and New Year. No wonder that the month of December is the most stressful month of the year for many people instead of the time when you can finally relax towards the end of the year.
Unfortunately, Christmas stress cannot be avoided entirely. But with a few tips and tricks you can reduce your stress level considerably and get through the Christmas holidays more relaxed.
“Stress leave” is what Germany wants all year round
Not only the pre-Christmas period, our whole life feels more and more stressful. A survey showed that the stress level of respondents worldwide is higher than ever. No surprise. In a survey from 2016, for example, more than 60 percent of those surveyed said that life had become much more stressful than it was ten years ago. With the corona pandemic, Germans’ perception of stress has even worsened. In a study by TK, around two-thirds stated that they suffered from stress at least occasionally. This is often the case for more than a quarter.
If factors such as closing the year at work, finding gifts, organizing family reunions and a lack of prospects of relaxing during the holidays are added to a generally high level of stress, we quickly feel overwhelmed and fear the Christmas holidays instead of looking forward to them. This often makes us react irritated and impatient, which inevitably leads to arguments in the family – which in turn increases the stress at Christmas time.
Consciously relaxing takes the fright out of the pre-Christmas period
A good way to break out of this vicious circle is through targeted relaxation exercises and meditation. This can be learned or completed comfortably from home, for example in online courses for mindfulness and meditation. If you take a few minutes every day, retire to a quiet room and treat yourself to a unit of yoga, meditation or relaxation exercises, you can significantly reduce your own stress and react more calmly to additional stress or unforeseen difficulties.
By the way, a relaxation exercise with practical benefits in the run-up to Christmas is baking cookies. Kneading dough, rolling it out, cutting it out and putting it in the oven has a meditative effect. The smell reminds us of our childhood and the anticipation of Christmas that prevailed back then. And we feel a lot less stress.
Speaking of which: Christmas stress does not leave children unscathed, either. On the one hand, they naturally sense when their parents are under stress. On the other hand, it is exciting to wait for Christmas Eve, to write a wish list and to hope that it will be fulfilled. The little ones become restless and fidgety, find it difficult to fall asleep or whine. Here, too, special relaxation apps for children help to reduce stress and get through the pre-Christmas period relaxed.
“Release stress” with good planning
But we should also be honest: Unfortunately, we usually create most of the Christmas stress ourselves. For example, when we wait until the last minute to get presents. Or feel obliged to be present at every Christmas party. Or visit relatives whom we would rather avoid, but then grudgingly agree just because it’s Christmas. Or we drive countless kilometers by car in a few days because the family is scattered all over Germany.
Planning and preparation are the be-all and end-all.
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Get gifts early: If you buy gifts all year round and ask for any wish lists early on, you can also communicate this earlier. If you are already looking for presents for family and friends in summer or autumn, there is no risk that what you want will be sold out. Or can calmly make gifts yourself and then give them away.
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Breaking commitments: Just because an invitation to a Christmas party lands in your home doesn’t mean you have to go. Anyone who starts noting down appointments in good time and (politely!) cancels where there are overlaps takes a lot of stress out of the pre-Christmas period. The same applies if you don’t want to attend Uncle Herbert and Aunt Erna’s Christmas dinner. Rather cancel politely and postpone the visit to another date. In this way, family peace is preserved and you can relax.
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Be on the road less: If you plan for the long term, you avoid “eating up kilometers” and the associated travel stress at Christmas. For example, if you celebrate with your own family one year, then with your partner the next year. Or, when each year a different family member hosts the Christmas party where everyone gets together.
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Plan time for breaks and for yourself! This is also part of planning stress-free holidays. Anyone who is constantly electrified, rushing from appointment to appointment at work and in private life and working through to-do lists in chords runs the risk of lying under the fir tree in absolute exhaustion, especially at Christmas. It is therefore particularly important in stressful phases to do something good for yourself, to take breaks and to use offers such as TK’s health coaching.
Let go of stress – the solution lies within ourselves
Stress can also be minimized during the Christmas season if we realize that the biggest stress factor is within ourselves. Between the compulsion to consume, family and professional obligations, we rush around without a break and make the quiet time and a loud and stressful one. Relaxation exercises, good advance planning and open communication are the building blocks that make up a peaceful and relaxed Christmas for everyone involved.
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You might also be interested in:
- TK anti-stress coaching
- Mental Load – you can do that about it
- Balm for the soul – sensible skin care in winter
- Family time: relaxed through the cold season
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