In a previous post, I wrote about how we stress ourselves out just because we want to have a perfect Christmas. The month of December has a lot of festivals with Christmas being the most wonderful of all. On a sad note, the Christmas holiday is that period when the stress levels soar. During this period, all I wish for is to have a stress-free Christmas.

And now, the big question is how can I put things together so that my family and I can get the best this Christmas season without my stress levels getting higher? I took out time to gather some tips which I will share with you below. Remember, our goal is to have a stress-free Christmas holidays!

1. If you need help, ask!

You are not a robot, so don’t kill yourself. If you have children in your home whom you think can handle things, then it’s time to delegate other tasks to them. Do you want to bring out the team spirit in your family? Easy! Share out work to family members. It’s the best time for you to encourage all at home to take the responsibility of making a stress-free Christmas happen.

2. Goodbye temptation

The TV says watch, the car radio says listen, as you browse the Internet, everything looks flashy (‘cashy’ as well), the beautifully decorated stores and shopping malls have never been that inviting. All these for you alone? Meanwhile you have been planning to have a stress-free Christmas? How do we sort this media hype?

• Limit the time that you spend in stores or shopping malls

• Take along only cash that you may need or can afford to spend

• There is no good time for your credit and/or debit cards to rest at home

3. A ‘NO’ is as good as a stress-free Christmas

There is no time as good as saying ‘no’. The temptations above shoud still be in you mind. Saying ‘no’ is just like saying ‘prevention is better than cure’.

We know how hyper-demanding the kids may be during this period. Don’t worry, just do the following:

• Disappoint those who are determined to be disappointed

• Those who want to eat everything that day should get involve in the cooking 

• Say no to unnecessary commitments

As I write, I got the feeling my burden is getting lighter. If you really wish to have a stress-free Christmas, then it’s time you think about the above. I can’t go without asking you to make someone somewhere have a stress-free Christmas also. Christmas is all about sharing and caring.

Have a Stress-free Christmas as you share with your friends and family!