Festive Stress: Keeping The Christmas Merry

With the Holiday season around the corner many of you may already be stressing to juggle shopping, events and work. This month can bring a lot of joys but with it can come some difficulty especially spending extended time with family members or if you have recently lost someone close to you. To help you survive the month that’s filled with empty bank balances, high energy, filled calendars and lots of alcohol we have put together some tips.

Catch up at a cafe rather than a bar.

One of the more common areas to meet in Ireland is the pub. It’s the social point of every town and with Christmas markets popping up in major cities with a beer tent its only natural people gravitate towards drinking.

Studies have shown that in fact alcohol can cause depression, worsen sleep and increase anxiety levels. Meeting at a cafe with friends for a catch up will leave you feeling happier in the long run and wont break the bank.

Take a day for yourself

Self-care is important for any adult especially around the holidays. Personally, I feel way less stressed and happier with myself when I take a day off for myself. Around the holidays its easier for us to get caught up in the endless cycle of events and work. Taking a day out around the holidays and taking a walk or doing an activity that you enjoy doing is the perfect way to take a break. Why not even try learning a new hobby?

Prepare for Christmas shopping.

Money around Christmas can be tight with the extra spending on food, alcohol and then presents. Christmas can make people feel worried they wont satisfied their loved one or family. Why don’t you sit down with that person and discuss how much ye will spend on presents for each other and learn to budget.

Along with this, doing the physical shopping itself can be equally as stressful. A brilliant solution to that is to plug in your earphones and listen to some podcasts you enjoy or even make a playlist that helps with destressing you or just steal one from Spotify.

If you need to chat over the holidays:

· Samaritans 116 123 or email jo@samaritans.org (available 24/7)

· Aware 1800 804848 (depression, anxiety)

· Pieta House 1800 247247 or email mary@pieta.ie – (available 24/7)

· Childline 1800 666666 (for under 18s, available 24/7)