Stress at this time of the year may seem unavoidable. December is upon us and Christmas is looming, possibly bringing with it myriad conflicting emotions; anticipation, excitement, joy, dread, anxiety, sadness, uncertainty, pressure, financial worry, overwhelm …
Whether your experience of Christmas is positive or negative – or a combination of both – December has the reputation of being the most exhausting month of the year leaving many limping across the finish line.
To combat the stress, it’s time to ramp up the self-care to ensure you support yourself well. To help you do that, here is my Christmas list for you. There is nothing ground-breaking or extra clever on it, it is very much back to basics. Never underestimate the value of the basics!
Drink water. The recommended amount is around 2 litres/day so keep a water bottle nearby as a visual reminder.
Eat breakfast. Give your body the best start possible.
Try limiting the caffeine. That extra coffee might give you a boost to get through the day but your nervous system suffers; too much adrenaline and blood sugar to cope with.
Don’t skip lunch; you may feel like you don’t have time but you’re setting yourself up for a mid-afternoon slump.
Move your body. This doesn’t have to be a full-scale work out; a series of stretches or a walk around the block is better than nothing.
Get outside.
Find ten minutes to sit still, close your eyes and focus on your breath.
Have a screen free time before bed – allow your mind and body to wind down.
Get enough sleep – your body needs to rest and recharge.
Lower the bar. Those impossibly high standards may be impressive and win you accolades but they exact a price.
Be realistic at what you commit to; you don’t have to be Wonder Woman/Superman.
Recognise what’s necessary and what’s negotiable.
Make wise financial decisions based on your circumstances, rather than other people’s. If you can’t afford it now, chances are you still won’t be able to when the credit card bill arrives.
Lighten up. Give your playful self some breathing room.
If you get to the end of this list thinking you don’t have time to do any of this and it’s not going to help anyway, can I gently suggest you go back to the beginning and read it again.
Christmas will come and go regardless. Give yourself the best possible chance of managing the stress and reaching the finish line with some reserves in your tank.
For more information about the counselling process, or to enquire about accessing my support as a counsellor, please click here.