Christmas is a time of happiness and celebration, but it can also be stressful if you don’t have everything under control. Here are a just few tips to help you keep calm and buy the right gifts for your loved ones!
Start Early
Starting early will help you overcome the anxiety of last-minute shopping. Make a list and check it twice so that you’ll remember everything when the time comes. Keeping it all in your head can overwhelm you, and you might even forget what you were going to buy!
Starting early will also help you save money, as prices inflate closer to the holidays. Plus, you’ll have more than enough time to search for the best deals and figure out the nicest surprises!
Switch Up the List
You may have made a list of what to buy, but have you thought about what not to get? Make a separate list of everything you want to avoid—for example, when you come up with gift ideas, make sure that the intended recipient doesn’t already have it. If they do, jot it down on the list of things that you shouldn’t purchase. It’s that easy!
Christmas is about giving, but by making a list of things that you won’t be giving, you’ll save yourself from all kinds of stress and embarrassment. You’ll also save yourself from wasting money and dealing with annoying returns!
Take a Break from Overbearing Christmas Music
It takes a special kind of person to listen to Christmas music every single day. These people tend to have an incredibly high tolerance for the repetitive beats of “Jingle Bells” and “All I Want for Christmas Is You.”
Instead of driving yourself crazy with so much Christmas music, turn on some soothing jazz and wash the stress away! And, if you’re not a music person, try tuning everything out with your favorite podcast, or start a new one. You can also put on headphones without playing music—sometimes, a little silence is all you need to get away from the holiday chaos!
Decorating Shouldn’t Be Stressful
Decorating can be stressful. Setting up a tree, adorning it with ornaments, putting up lights, inflating yard decorations—it can all make even the sanest person crazy!
Instead of worrying about these tasks, though, you can follow a few tips. First, if you have kids, make decorating a fun activity instead of a chore. Have them help you put up the tree or decorate the house, and they’ll love it. You’ll love it, too, when you realize that half of the load has been taken off your shoulders. Then, once you have everything set up, sit back on the couch with a hot tea or cocoa and enjoy the show!
On the other hand, you don’t have to bother with traditions at all. Keep the tree outside, hang up just a few ornaments, and relax on the couch knowing that you barely had to lift a finger.
Prepare to Shine in Spring
Everyone ages and gets wrinkles and saggy skin. The winter season is the best time to take care of these problems! From creams and fillers to lasers and even a deep plane facelift, there are plenty of ways to revitalize your appearance and make this coming spring the season to shine!
Remove Christmas Expectations
A lot of people set the bar way too high during the Christmas season. They begin to believe that, if they buy their loved ones the perfect gifts, they’ll love them more, or vice versa.
The holidays only come once a year, and while it’s understandable to aspire for perfection, it isn’t necessary. In fact, high expectations will likely leave you disappointed in the end! Give the people you love only what they need this year, and don’t get them anything excessive.
The same goes for yourself: don’t set the bar too high on what you expect to receive. Just go with the flow and accept your presents with a smile! Remember: it’s not about what you get, but about who you have to share it all with.
