First and foremost, yah gotta have a sense of humour, right ;) Lol.
Compliments of skillsyouneed.com
* Have a 'Great Escape' plan! It's a good idea to have some pre-planned excuses to escape form proceedings if they get too stressful. Be imaginative and use things such as leaving the room to make a phone call to a friend or perhaps checking on a neighbour. Leaving the situation, even for 10 minutes, will help clear your mind and relax you.
* When your body is under stress it produces cortisol which prepares you for 'fight or flight' situations. Caffeine does too. Offer everybody decaf coffee, tea, or herbal tea alternatives, since this will help keep the stress levels down and has the added bonus that people may fall asleep after dinner!
* Practice breathing - when we're stressed our heart beat increases and our breathing shallows. It's all part of the fight or flight reaction. Work on reversing this process and take time to breathe deeply. Breathe in deeply through your nose, hold for 15 to 20 seconds and then breathe out through your mouth, repeat for a few minutes to instantly help reduce stressful feelings.
* Know when to stop. Decide when you will stop your Christmas preparations and start to relax and enjoy the holiday. Work towards and try to stick to this goal, even if it is in the late afternoon on Christmas Eve. Remember that Christmas is your holiday too.
* Have Fun! Rise above the situation, laugh and turn "situations" into fun stories to tell at future Christmases.
Some of these really made me smile ;) Kinda makes you feel better when you know other people struggle with Xmas/family stress too, doesn't it?)
Happy December everyone!
Blessings,
Chatgirl
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