How to Prevent Christmas Stress

Activities directors, caregivers, and healthcare professionals,here is some great information

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To all the readers of this blog who are eager to learn more about dementia, I want to take this opportunity to wish you and yours a very merry Christmas.

eHow
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Christmas is a festive time of year. Everyone is rushing from place to place and so happy. Among all that Christmas cheer there are people that allow themselves to get so stressed out they never get to enjoy the holiday season. With a little effort and planning you can prevent holiday stress from creeping up on you and your family. Below are some things you can do to help prevent Christmas stress.

Step 1Make Christmas Gift List Early:

Sit down early in fall or late summer to make your Christmas list. The earlier you can get started on your Christmas list the less stressful and hectic it will be at Christmas time. This also gives you plenty of time to think about what you want to get everyone.

Step 2Plan your gift choices in advance:

Save time and stress while shopping by having your Christmas gift list done early. You can always make changes if necessary but there is no reason you shouldn’t have an idea of what to get everyone before you start shopping. Family members or people that are close to you should get gifts with more thought and uniqueness while acquaintances and friends can have smaller generic gifts that are easier to find. These are usually gift baskets that can serve this purpose.

Step 3Buy gifts as early as possible:

Christmas gifts don’t have to have anything to do with Christmas so you can really start your Christmas shopping early. This will allow you to find better bargains for everyone on your list and avoid the Stressful last minute shoppers in the stores.

Step 4Gifts in bulks are good for acquaintances:

Buying several of the same item will make gift giving less stressful also. Many items can be customized at home for next to nothing. If you find a good deal on an item ask the store owner if you can get a discount for buying several of that item. Once home either add a card of a little verse that is special to you and your gift if unique and done for several people at once.

Step 5Limit holiday activities:

Make a list of priorities and make sure other activities do not interfere. Make sure you have some me time included in there so you don’t make your self sick with all the running. That’s not to say you shouldn’t enjoy the holiday season, just make sure you are enjoying it and not rushing from activity to activity through it.

Step 6Relax with family:

Christmas is all about family and you should make sure you have plenty of time set aside to enjoy it with your family. Don’t feel bad if you have to say no to someone to spend time with your family. They really will understand.

Step 7Ask for help if needed:

There are many people that will help you will small tasks when times get busy and stressful. Make sure you ask for help with things seem to be getting over whelming. Having someone help wrap presents is not only a way to get something done that needs to be done and could be stressful. It’s a way to relieve stress that is starting to build up by relaxing with family and friends. Plus you get to check one more thing off your to do list.