Tips to reduce the stress of the Christmas holiday:
Christmas is a wonderful season, full of joy and celebration; but many people may generate stress of the Christmas holiday. The high expectations and constant excess can be overwhelming for some citizens, making them feel anxious and even depressed. When money is scarce, and credit cards are overflowing, having to purchase gifts for their family can be the most stressful thing people have to endure. Of course, a great amount of stress, for long periods of time, can affect our health in a very negative way. It can lead to problems like heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure and obesity.
Some studies show that during the holiday season there is an increase in heart related deaths; this may be due to a combination of alcohol consumption in large amounts, eating fatty food and stress. This is why it is imperative to deal with this stress problem immediately.
We will recommend some strategies to help reduce the stress of the Christmas holiday with tranquility and joy.
Start your Christmas shopping early
When you start buying your gifts months in advance you will reduce the stress significantly, as you won’t have to pay a huge amount of money in one go, you can distribute the cost of the purchases throughout several months making the expense a lot bearable. In addition, starting the shopping early allows planning and taking advantage of the sales, you will find throughout the year. It also means you will be able to take it slow and calm (and this is good to not stressing); instead, if you leave your shopping for the last minute, you will be running mad to get whatever you need, moreover, you will probably end up paying whatever they ask as long as you have your presents… and that means a huge amount of stress.
Besides, great sales not only happen on Black Friday, Cyber Monday or Christmas bra sales, there are big deals throughout the whole year; therefore, if you start purchasing early, you will have more opportunities to find low prices. In fact, near Christmas Eve (after the big sales events) prices tend to shoot up, reaching the highest point in the whole year.
Make a list and set a budget
Organizing your shopping will save you time and money. Knowing exactly what you want to purchase will allow you to stay alert for great discounts and you will be able to set a spending limit. Make a list with the people you want to buy gifts for and calculate how much you will be able to spend in each gift so you don’t exceed your spending limit. Try to stick to your planning. Be realistic about your budget to make sure you won´t overspend. Try to pay with cash and not credit cards, this way you won’t be able to spend more than you actually can; because of the same reason, try not to take extra money with you, take only the money necessary to purchase what you have planned, this way you won’t be tempted to buy things you don’t need impulsively, just because they prices are low.
The most important thing to remember is that Christmas is not just about getting presents and overspending. Being with family and friends, sharing the moment, celebrating together is what matters; material objects are not as important, and you can always show you love and appreciation with a handmade gift.
Making unique gifts
If you start planning your Christmas shopping early you will be able to do some research on what your loved ones may need or want. This can be an excellent opportunity to get personalized gifts or even handmade. A handmade album of family photos is always a lovely gift and Christmas can be the perfect time to present your family and friends with such beautiful crafts. Personalized products are a great option too, they are not expensive and they show how much you care by taking the time to make a special unique gift with a personalized phrase or photograph. Mugs, cushions, calendars and many other products can be personalized specially for the Christmas season. And be sure to pick up some santa hats for everyone at Blossom Costumes.
