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Womens Health
Avoid Christmas stress! Plus how to deal with SAD
Will you be having a happy Christmas this year, or a hellish one?
It's your choice, says The Stress Management Society
(www.stress.org.uk) which has issued its top 10 tips to surviving
the holiday season.
Neil Shah, Director of the Society says: "There are some complex
social and financial issues to negotiate here. Christmas stress
starts with worrying about who to send cards to and getting them
posted in time. Then we trawl over-crowded shops for perfect
presents at the right price. We invite relatives over that we might
not get on with, and cook what's seen as perhaps the most important
meal of the year. And in January, we have to start paying the bills.
"No wonder that one in 20 people considers Christmas more stressful
than divorce or burglary. However with a little preparation, you can avoid the major
pitfalls."
Preparing for the day
1. Learn to cope
Note what triggers your anxiety and think of a solution in advance,
eg if particular relatives coming to lunch make you stressed,
then `dilute' their effect by inviting a couple more friendly people
along.
2. Plan ahead and delegate
Don't keep Christmas in your head. Get it down on paper. Buy a
beautiful notebook and use it to record everything from seating
plans and present ideas to the number of your taxi company and
babysitter.
Also write down your list of things to do, then strike through the
tasks that are neither urgent nor essential. Look at what's left and
see what you could delegate, eg give someone responsibility for
buying and putting up decorations. Your `to do' list will instantly
shrink.
3. Presents without shops
Gift-buying is one of the most stressful aspects of Christmas. But
who wants to negotiate heaving high streets? Order through mail
order catalogues (available via www.catalink.com) or buy your
presents on the internet. Try the mother@work round up of charity sites for a real feel-good factor: Christmas! Do it all in one day as this helps focus
the mind.
Online shops worth visiting are www.amazon.co.uk or
www.bookgiant.co.uk for books, or www.firebox.com and www.hawkin.com
for gadgets and toys. Or if you want a truly stress-free Christmas,
try The Stress Management Society at www.stress.org.uk for
aromatherapy products, relaxation CDs and revitalising teas. .
4. The easy way to write cards
Tackle this time-consuming task a little at a time. Write out your
Christmas card list. Then keep a stack of cards and stamps handy on
a table and every night sit down to write out a few.
5. Have a cut off point
Decide now when you will stop preparing and start enjoying.
Christmas Eve is a good time to put your feet up and admire your
handiwork. If you work towards a goal, you are more likely to stick
to it.
On the day
 6. Let's talk turkey
Abundant rich food stresses the body. So go for healthy options.
Ignore crisps in favour of dried fruit and crudités; their roughage
is great for your digestive system, and raw vegetables contain much
higher vitamin levels than those that are cooked. Just go easy on
the dips!
As you sit down to dinner, remember some seasonal foods are actually
good for you. Turkey and pheasant contain tryptophan, from which we
make the calming brain chemical serotonin. Salmon contains vital
Omega 3 oil. Sprouts provide sulforaphane, a powerful phytonutrient
that helps you detox and helps protect against cancer.
7. Develop a drink problem
Alcohol dehydrates you and makes your liver work overtime to process
it. Instead develop a healthy drink problem with water. This
hydrates every part of the body and brain and helps you better cope
with stressful situations. The best source is room-temperature still
water bought in glass bottles (some plastic bottles can leach
chemicals into the water inside) or use a jug filter system that you
fill from the tap.
8. Try internal aerobics
Stress makes your heart beat faster and your breathing shallow.
Reverse that process with deep breathing. Breathe in for four counts
through your mouth then out for five through your nose. Or try some
hearty carol singing for an instant way to fill your lungs.
9. Go for a walk
When you're stressed, exercise is an immediate tonic. Go for a walk
or a bike ride. This will burn off stress hormones like cortisol and
adrenaline and release mood-enhancing endorphins.
10. Make a memory
Do you remember what you got for Christmas two years ago? Probably
not. But you will cherish the memories that you have of times with
your family and friends forever. So give family or friends the best
present of all and arrange to do something a bit out of the
ordinary. Get up early to see the sun rise. Try flying a kite. Or
hire costumes from a costume shop for the kids. You will raise
everyone's endorphin levels and they will still be talking about it
next year.
Neil Shah from The Stress Management Society says: "Aim for a happy
Christmas, not a perfect one. You want people to remember Christmas
dinner for the great atmosphere not because you were so wound up
that you blew a gasket over some minor problem."
For more information on stress management, talk to The Stress
Management Society. See www.stress.org.uk for its free guide to
stress, email info@stress.org.uk or call 08701 999 235.
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