Taking the Stress out of Christmas!

Most of us are so busy with their lives Christmas can just creep up on us. Before we know it, it is December 1st and we havent begun to think about gifts, cards, food, as well as all the other things think are necessary for the festive season.

In past years I have promised myself to be more organized, yet I always find myself in the same situation. However, not anymore! Use this list of ideas to help you become more organized.

1) Firstly make plenty of lists and keep them somewhere easy to find and look at. There is nothing worse than making a detailed list and then losing it. Things you need to think about include Christmas cards, Gifts for your family and friends, Christmas decorating, and food for the masses that tend to descend at this time of year.

2) Once you have written your card list you need to buy them. To be really organized, you could buy your cards in the January sales the year before and keep them safe. This way you can save money and its one less thing to buy when it comes to Christmas. Dont forget to set aside time to write the cards and make sure you have enough stamps. Why not rent your favorite movie and write the cards while watching this. Youd be surprised how quickly the time will go.

3) Next on your list should be gift giving. Again, its a good idea to keep your eyes peeled during sales throughout the year to pick up little bits for the familys stockings, which will help to spread the cost. Its a good idea to start this pretty early so you miss out on the worst of the crowds. By buying your gifts earlier, you could save yourself a lot of stress and even find yourself enjoying Christmas gift shopping. Dont forget that if you need to send presents overseas, these will need to be bought first so they arrive in time. If you ring your local post office they will let you know the dates by which you need to have sent the presents.

4) If plan early enough you can even make some presents. Why not make a gift basket for someone full of their favorite foods, wine and other treats. This is a really unique way of making someone feel special and loved.

5) If the thought of shops heaving with other people desperate to get that must have gift, why dont you try shopping online? A lot of the time you get an online discount and you can shop from the comfort of your own home. The gifts are normally delivered pretty quickly, although it is important to remember at Christmas, delivery may be a little slower.

6) Dont leave the gift wrapping till the last minute. Maybe try to pack up things as you buy, although make sure you label what you have wrapped so you know what is in them! If a store offers a free gift wrapping service when you make a purchase, take advantage, as thats one less thing for you to think about.

7) If the idea of decorating leaves you cold, make it into a tradition. Pick a specific day that the family spends together putting up the tree and decorating the house and do the same each year. This will make it special for the children and also means that you dont have to decorate to early each year. Get the children involved and let them put up their favorite decorations.

Hopefully you can use these ideas to make your Christmas stress free and enjoyable!

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What is stress?

Stress (roughly the opposite of relaxation) is a medical term for a wide range of strong external stimuli, both physiological and psychological, which can cause a physiological response called the general adaptation syndrome, first described in 1936 by Hans Selye in the journal Nature.
An emotionally disruptive or upsetting condition occurring in response to adverse external influences and capable of affecting physical health which can be characterized by increased heart rate, a rise in blood pressure, muscular tension, irritability and depression. Stress does not cause migraine but can be a migraine "trigger".
A condition in which the organism is subjected to unfavourable or unfamiliar environmental conditions, resulting in some alteration in normal physical functioning. Short-term stress can often be overcome. Long-term stress can reduce resistance to disease and parasites, inhibit self-healing processes, and reduce life-span.