How to avoid festive burnout
Let’s take the stress out of Christmas
“Are you ready for Christmas?” Five words that can raise your blood pressure in a nanosecond. If you say “Yes” – you bought your presents back in the summer sales AND wrapped them, you sound horribly smug. Say “No,” and you’re instantly reminded of that mountain of Christmas planning still to do.
Christmas is a welcome break – but with all the last-minute stresses of presents, family guests, cards, crackers and last posting days, it can turn into a total Grinch-fest. To the point where you never want to see a tangled string of fairy lights ever again.
So how can you de-stress the festive season, and keep yourself calm, amidst the chaos?
Make a personalised to-do list
Christmas is the season of the list. As soon as we can hold a crayon, we’re asking Santa for a puppy or a kitten. But as we grow up, our Christmas list morphs into a seemingly endless to-do list. Making a killer list and prioritising ahead means you’ll feel more prepared – and can really look forward to the holidays. Your list is at the heart of avoiding that festive burnout. Christmas to-do lists don’t change that much from year to year, so why not embellish it with festive decorations or borders and calligraphy – and create a personalised list that you can use for years to come!
Share the responsibility
And now…get ready to delegate!
Christmas isn’t one person’s responsibility. It’s something that should be shared – especially if you want to avoid burnout and actually enjoy the season. It can make everyone feel more Christmassy and included if they’ve played their part in bringing it all together on the day.
The art of Christmas wellbeing is to make sure that you – and the things that are important to you – don’t get sidelined when you’re busy making a memorable Christmas for everyone else. So hold onto the tasks that you really enjoy or are meaningful to you – and give the rest to other people!
Put yourself top of the list
If you love to walk around your neighbourhood at dusk, admiring all the Christmas lights and outdoor decorations, put it on the list and into your diary. Off you go and enjoy the magic of the occasion and don’t feel guilty for taking some time out for you.
If you just love advent calendars, why share?! If you’re the one buying, choose one for you, and one for everyone else.
If you love icing those gingerbread men with the kids, set the whole afternoon aside, and get fish and chips for supper.
You might decide that designing hand-crafted Christmas cards is both important and rewarding for you. Be realistic about your time though; you’ll enjoy the experience so much more if you don’t embark on making all the wrapping paper and gift tags too! Why not treat yourself to an early Christmas present with a 60 pack of Zebra Pen Glitter Doodler’z? It’ll make the whole gift-wrapping and card-making experience so much more enjoyable.
Saying no means staying sane
Christmas is about learning to say no. No need to accept every invitation. No need to cook yourself to a standstill when you can buy fabulous, fiddly canapes or side dishes. Cook what you actually want to cook – and buy the rest ready-made. Hide the boxes, scatter some edible glitter, and bask in the glory.
Wishing you all a stress-free Christmas
Putting yourself and your wellbeing first isn’t selfish. It’s one of the best ways to stay sane, and give everyone, including you, a Christmas to remember – for all the right reasons.
Happy Christmas from all of us at Zebra Pen UK!