It’s beginning to feel a lot like STRESS-mas! 10 ways to cope with the festive season
Yes it really ‘TIS the season where we all can quickly spiral of control when it comes to presents, planning lunch and dinner or decorations.
As busy mums we can lose sight of what’s really important this time of year and find ourselves exhausted mentally, emotionally and physically. This can then manifest into unhealthy and destructive patterns of coping.
If you can foresee this possibly happening to you, here are 10 ways to cope with the stresses of the festive season.
10 ways to cope with the stress of Christmas
1) Mind.Body.Breath
Meditation is extremely effective in reducing anxiety and stress. As part of the The Healthy Mummy’s 28 Day Weight Loss Challenge, the MIND.BODY.BREATH sessions are designed to help you cope with the stresses of life.
With the choice of 3, 5 or 10 minute sessions, this is an investment in the wellbeing of your mind just as the 28 Day Weight Loss Challenge is an investment for your body.
2) Take a time out
If you can’t see the light at the end of the tunnel in the midst of tinsel and gift wrapping in the lead up to Christmas Day, take one hour of each day for a moment for yourself. Leave the kids with family or friends and make sure you use this time to practice some self-care unrelated to Christmas.
3) Lower your expectations
Don’t expect Christmas to look like a staged shoot from a catalogue (which probably cost thousands to put together). Keeping it simple is often the best course of action to take if you want a stress free and fun holiday period.
Use the recipes from the 28 Day Weight Loss Challenge to create quick and easy meal and dessert options that everyone will love, like this Raspberry, Pistachio and Coconut Chocolate Bark.
4) Budget
There is a lot of anxiety surrounding how much people should spend on a present. If buying presents for family and friends is going to cause anxiety and stress, opt for a Secret Santa or hand made gifts.
It’s ok not to spend money on presents, try spending time with the people in your life instead.
5) Be realistic
Are you the type of person who can easily go overboard with the food and presents? Mock up a plan of what you intend to cook and what you need to buy and make sure you put in in a public area of the house where other family members can see it. This will ensure they give you feedback on whether it’s too much or too drastic.
6) Call a friend
If you feel like you’re becoming overwhelmed, FaceTime, Skype or call a friend or family member that you trust. Sometimes we need that comfort of a familiar face or voice to remind us that there are more important aspects to Christmas than food and materialistic gifts.
If you need more support jump into The Healthy Mummy community where there is always someone there to offer you an ear or give you encouragement.
7) Eat well
Quite often when people get stressed or are overtired, they reach out for highly processed and fatty foods. Before it gets to that point, make sure you make healthy choices that fuel your body and give you the energy you need over this period.
This includes eating a healthy breakfast so you don’t find yourself snacking during the day, relaxing herbal teas and being consistent with exercise. The 28 Day Weight Loss Challenge comes with customisable meal plans with thousands of easy to make recipes.
Need some more inspiration for healthy Christmas food? Check out these tasty vegetarian options for a Christmas feast.
8) Create new traditions
Christmas is the perfect opportunity to shift the focus from the material to the meaningful.
If they’re old enough, drag the kids along to volunteering serving meals at a homeless shelter. Buy toys for kids who are less fortunate and ask your children to help you hand them out at a children’s hospital or women’s shelter.
This will not only make you all feel good but will provide you all with a deep sense of appreciation for what you have.
9) Let go
If Christmas is a time where you need to be the most in control, try to delegate tasks so you can take some time out for yourself. Get your partner or sister to cook Christmas lunch, the results may be hilarious or you may find yourself treated to a beautiful meal, either way learn to relinquish control and manage expectations.
10) Gratitude
There is a lot of extra noise and distractions that can drain us of energy and stress us out over this period.
Before bed or first thing every morning in the lead up to Christmas ask yourself – what does Christmas mean to you? You’ll find that it’s more than just the presents and more about being with family and friends and being grateful for what is close to your heart.
Join our community of supportive mums!
If you are wanting to get that bit of extra support in your 28 Day Weight Loss Challenge journey to better health come and join our community of mums, offering support and advice.
This blog was written by Shara Smith who is a psychotherapist and a counsellor with over 12 years’ experience in the mental health, life coaching and self-care sector. While she loves her husband and three kids, she also loves watching re-runs of Sex in the City and baking decadent cookies that only she gets to eat.
