Surviving the Festivities! Tip 4

Avoid the drains if you can.

No, I don’t mean watching where you put your feet (although that is always sensible!!) I mean watching what company you keep. If you find this time of year stressful, for whatever reason, then do your best to avoid those individuals who raise your stress levels.

This can be difficult if you always invite so and so, or always go to a paticular relative for Christmas, so stop and think to yourself, why always? Why not something different this year? Why not say. “no, not this time”, or “yes, but just for half a day”?

Look after yourself! Stand by the radiators!

Tips for Surviving Christmas!

• Rule number one, there are no rules! What ‘rules’ or traditions have you invented over the years and are they still relevant to your Christmases today? It may be that you are giving yourself unnecessary stress and work, so just take a moment to think if you have to do it the way you have always done.
• Lower your expectations immediately. No one is perfect and your Christmas gathering won’t be either. Almost every magazine on sale during December will have a feature telling you how to have the perfect Christmas. Read them for interest but regard them as works of fiction! Your celebrations are unique and should be what works for you.
• If you have a house full of relatives expect the worst and plan for it. If Uncle Bernard always gets drunk it’s no use fantasising that he’ll turn teetotal  just while he’s at your house. He won’t. Likewise with family members who usually don’t get on well together. They still won’t so plan for it and expect it. Everyone cramped in one hot room for hours on end is a sure fire way to provoke a few arguments so make sure you have an activity like a walk for those who need to get out for a while. Read the rest of this entry