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Christmas is the most wonderful time of the year, but also one of the most stressful. A lot of the stresses can be down to expectations. There is a worry of what are the right gifts to buy people, preparing the Christmas dinner and making sure the house looks great for you and your guests to enjoy the festivities.
Here are 9 useful tips to help you have that stress free Christmas:
1. Write a list of people you want to buy for
Writing down a list of people you are wanting to buy for and then checking them off once you have purchased them. This will help keep you organised with gifts and means you will not forget anyone. Having lists can help you feel the most organised and motivating when ticking them off.
2. Set a budget
Budgeting for Christmas is important as no one should be putting themselves into debt showing you love them. Christmas is more about the love and togetherness and of making more memories than presents. Allocating a budget that you can afford for gifts and sticking to the budget allows you to shop with piece of mind that you will not in debt going into the new year. Setting a budget for other aspects of Christmas like food is also important, it is so easy to stock up and over spent. But try to stick to your shopping list to avoid overspending and causing food waste.
3. Have a festive declutter
Before Christmas having a declutter and tidying up can help get your house ready for you to enjoy the festivities and for when guests are coming over. Having a tidy organised house can help create a relaxed and calm environment.
4. Learn to say no
Knowing how much money you want to spend and what parties and Christmas activities you want to attend and what food you would like to cook. Over committing yourself is one of the biggest contributor to holiday stress.
5. Buy online
Buying gifts online whether that is small businesses or larger companies is a great way to avoid the hustle and bustle of the high street. It can be a lot easier to shop from the company of your own home. As shopping on the high street especially around Christmas can be so stressful.
6. Schedule time for yourself
In the lead up to Christmas there is always so much going on and it is easy to get caught up with everything happening, it is easy to forget to look after yourself. Scheduling time each day or each week to spend it with loved ones and doing something that you love can help reset your mind and stop you from becoming overwhelmed.
You’ve got me wanting to get all sorted for Christmas today!!!
I love online shopping for Christmas presents – it can also give you lots of ideas! Plus it’s brilliant to search for a discount code and save yourself some money ☺️ Some great tips to help with what is a very stressful time of year! xx
We had very similar posts up today! Christmas can be SO stressful. It’s so important to take these things on board. Clearing out the fridge and freezer is definitely something my Mum and I need to do! We’re already worried about where we’re going to put everything! xxx
Yeah we are having to try and sort things in the freezers ready for Christmas haha. Good luck with your Christmas prep! Xxx
Brilliant concise tips, I love a list a d they definitely help my stress levels reduce to feel on track of things
Great suggestions for a stress free Christmas, it helps to space things out ahead of time so you don’t lose your head in December. Setting a budget is also super important, you can go SOO overboard with that. Thanks for sharing Lauren xx
Some helpful tips here Lauren, sometimes it’s the simple things we forget that can make life so much easier for us. Thanks for the reminders! Helen x
The essence of Christmas is to celebrate. Admittedly, we humans smile more when we receive something. Opening a gift is like being given a warm, cosy hug.
I loved your point about not putting yourself in debt to prove you care about someone! It is not a true friend if they do not understand that. And it is not a true Christmas if you have worn yourself to the bone without thinking of yourself. 🙂
Definitely!! As long as I have my family around me, I am holy xx
Happy*
These are such great tips! I’m big on lists so have started mine- I love looking through the foodie brochures for Christmas!
Soph – https://sophhearts.com x
That’s great! Thank you for sharing, reading and commenting x
This is such a lovely blog post and you should just enjoy the time with your loved ones during Xmas rather than worrying about gifts!
Thank you for reading and commenting. Can you link your latest post x
Starting early, as you note and being organized really seems to be key to it all! A very merry Christmas to you and yours!
It definitely helps. Thank you! I hope you have a great Christmas too! Can you link your latest post x
Be prepared! One of the best tips around. That’s why Santa makes a list then checks it twice. The tips of listing out the people you want to serve. Write out a budget are all excellent.
Thank you for reading and commenting!
The pleasure is all mine.
A list and a budget is what helps me. Great tips
Thank you for sharing!
I have a lot of lists for planning Christmas. This helps to cut the stress by checking things off the list. Love your tips for a stress-free Christmas.
Great tips! I do most of these things. I usually sit with my mum and we make one together for immediate family to make sure there’s no overlaps. Then make a rough plan about where to get the bits from and tick them off as I go. I bought my first gifts this week! x
Sophie
That’s great you have a way of organising your Christmas! Thank you for reading and commenting Sophie xxx
Partly due to suffering with mental health issues, I find Christmas to be super stressful at times – not to mention the guilt that comes with feeling negative during such a ‘magical time of the year’. This post is something I didn’t know I needed until I read it! Thank you for writing such helpful tips. <3
Soph – https://girlvsworldblog.com x
I hope at least one of these tips help you feel less stressed this Christmas ❤️
They get so busy don’t they! That’s great you have been organised. I only have a couple of presents to buy and then I am finished. Xx
Great tips! I try to keep a list going on my phone all year round where I write down anytime I hear a friend or family member mention something they like or want; that way, I have easy reminders and ideas all in one place when it comes time to buy presents.
Great tips, I have already bought some gifts, I hope that the last few weeks before christmas don’t get to stressful
Nic | Nic’s Adventures & Bakes
I hope the rest of your Christmas shopping goes well x
I like one of your tips : “Don’t put yourself in debt to prove to others you love them, its not about gifts.”
Yes, it is about love & care.
Great tips. I’ve been buying for months and wrapping as I go.
I love keeping lists of what I have bought and ticking things off.
Makes life so much easier x
I need to buy wrapping and start that now! Xx
Great tips! Making a list is one of the best things you can do, I find it so helpful! This year I’ve even gone a step further and I have a spreadsheet 😂 I keep track of what I’ve bought for who, where it was from (in case it needs to be returned) and how much it cost so I can see how much I’m spending. It’s also helping me track what I’m buying online too so I can see what’s arrived and what I’m still waiting on! Xx
That’s great you use a spreadsheet to help stay organised. That’s great to record your online purchases too xx
The best advice was setting the budget. And then lisitng who to gift. Once you know how much to spend you can narrow down on either the people or gift quantity. Liked it. Xx
Isa A. Blogger
I am glad you found the post helpful. Thank you for reading and commenting.