Today we’re talking Christmas stress. For many of us, Christmas can be anything but merry. Expectations rise to sky-high levels, and there seem to be a million and one things to do – most of which fall on your shoulders. In fact, Christmas is considered one of the six most stressful life events, along with divorce, moving house and changing jobs. So now that we are fast approaching the most joyful stressful time of year, what can we to do avoid the festive frazzle? Here, Louise Barton, founder of The Mama Collective, an online hub making health coaching accessible to busy mums – shares her top tips for reducing Christmas stress.
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As a mother of a large family (4 kid mama!), I know a thing or two about Christmas burnout. Let’s be honest, between the gift purchasing and wrapping, handmade cards, crafts, nativity costumes and endless household chores and ‘to do’ lists – most mums feel the pressure of the upcoming festive season.
Christmas is meant to be a fun and loving time. But for many of us the reality is that we feel overwhelmed and over-stretched. It can not only leave us feeling drained, but also can steal the joy from what should be a joyous time. In a year when most parents are already feeling at their limit, the additional load of Christmas can tip us into burnout.
So here are a few tips to help you thrive through the festivities and not feel frantic and frazzled.
5 tips for reducing Christmas stress
Say no
If you want to feel festive rather than frazzled and avoid the risk of Christmas burnout then healthy boundaries are the way forward. Learn to say ‘no’ to the things you don’t want to do, to give yourself more energy, space and time for the things you DO really want to do. Remember, you can still be a good mum, sister, wife and friend if you say no. It’ a massive self-care gift to yourself.
Micro-dose of self-care
It’s vital you take some time to nurture yourself – both mentally and physically – around the hustle and bustle of it all. But when we are so busy how can we squeeze this into our hectic days? Well, the answer is to micro-dose on self-care. Just 10 minutes can make all the difference. It gives you a little space to press pause, and give your mind a little break….read a book, take a hot bath, listen to a podcast, do a yoga flow.
Breathe!
If you feel stress and overwhelm rising, stop what you’re doing and take three long, deep, full, purposeful breaths. Do not underestimate the power of a deep breath. These precious seconds may be the difference between losing your cool and responding calmly; between feeling overwhelmed and staying focused. Use the power of breath to create an incredible feeling of energy, clarity and focus through your body. Really focus on extending the out breathe for as long as you can to trigger your parasympathetic nervous system (your ‘rest and digest’ system which will send a wave of calm through your body).
Cup of calm
Make yourself a cup of your favourite warm drink and sit down. Give yourself 2 minutes of mindfulness to ground yourself. Use your senses to root yourself in the present moment – this will give your mind a break from any stress or worry. Focus on what you can see (the colour of the drink, the mug, any patterns). Then focus on what you can feel; the warmth, any texture to the cup. Then focus on what you can taste – and mindfully really enjoy the hot drink. In this practice you are soaking up all the goodness a simple cup of tea has to offer you. When you start feeling a little overwhelmed, this is a great ‘2-minute’ self-care tool. Mindful meditation doesn’t need to take a long time, just 2 or 3 minutes can be enough to give you a little space to slow down, press pause, re-connect and re-energise for the rest of the day.
Positive affirmations
Positive affirmations are a powerful way of sending yourself a great dose of positive vibes – they are a fantastic mind-nourishing tool. By starting your day with the repetition of one or more positive affirmations, you set the right intention for the day, brighten your mood and up your confidence.
Sounds a bit woo-woo? You don’t need to say them out loud to yourself in the mirror – write them down and pop them somewhere you will see them frequently throughout your day (fridge door, bathroom mirror). Repetition is key to help rewire our brains – so each time you see them, repeat the words to yourself in your head a few times. Day-by-day you will reinforce the messages and train your subconscious mind to tune into the truth of words more often. They can really help you tune into how you feel and remind you of how you can cope in times of ‘squeeze’. So when you begin to feel a bit overwhelmed this festive season, use these affirmations as your guide to peace and patience.
- Today, I choose me
- I choose peace over perfection
- I remember I have a choice in what I plan for the festive season
- I give myself permission to rest. I am taking care of more than just myself when I take time to re-charge
- When I become stressed, I will step away. I will breathe and give myself what I need in the moment to cope.
- This is really stressful right now. I am allowed to feel this way. I am not alone in feeling this way. I will be kind to myself and take good care of myself.
- Today I choose to find small pockets of joy, even on a tough day – there are moments of joy to be found.
- I will stay present-focused and take this one day at a time.
Finding small positive ways to manage Christmas stress is the key to avoiding festive frazzle. Keep these Christmas stress relief tips handy for when you’re starting to feel frazzled and overwhelmed to help you beat the holiday blues.
Get a complimentary month membership to The Mama Collective to support you through Christmas stress
The Mama Collective is for modern-day mums who feel like they have little (or zero) time for themselves and want more energy, more joy and less stress. UK leading health coach, Louise Barton, founder of Live Well With Lou will lead you through 3 LIVE coaching sessions each and every week; think nutrition, breathwork, mindfulness, mindset, guided meditations, and self-love. You also get simple and delicious recipes and meal plans. And each month there are special guest experts who share their knowledge and wisdom too.
Motherhood: The Real Deal readers can now enjoy a complimentary month membership to The Mama Collective to help support you through your Christmas stress for totally free worth £24.99 using code REALDEALFRIEND at checkout. Find out more and claim your free month’s membership HERE.
Woman photo created by wayhomestudio, People photo created by yanalya, Coffee photo created by frimufilms – www.freepik.com, Woman photo created by wayhomestudio – www.freepik.com
I totally agree with saying no, you don’t have to go out and do everything even if it’s tempting. Save some things for the break between Xmas and new year or January x
Permission to rest! I always forget this. The holiday season does not have to be a grueling marathon!
Christmas can be a very stressful time with everything that needs to be done. I try not to take on too much and get some time to myself too.
Christmas is definitely a stressful time of year for me! It’s hard to keep up and get everyone together and most times things don’t go as planned but in the end there are great memories shared. Thanks for sharing these tips for staying calm throughout it all!
I like the micro dose of self-care! This season can be hectic but we gotta squeeze the self care in there!
It is so easy to get stressed this time of the year for sure. It is so busy when trying to get any shopping done and it gets expensive. Thank you for the post 😉