10 steps to beat stress over the holidays

Stay calm and keep your cool this festive period

- CLARE SWATMAN.

Christmas is a time for celebration, families, good food and, sadly, soaring stress levels. High expectations and pressure to make everything extra special can mean that, for some, Christmas is more manic than magic. Here, three experts reveal how we can make Christmas as stress-free as possible…

Reframe expectations

This year, more than any other, it’s going to be essential not to get too hung up on our expectations of a perfect Christmas. After all, there’s been a lot of things in 2020 that we’ve not been able to control!

‘Even at the best of times, the expectation surrounding Christmas can make it stressful,’ says Neil. ‘This year it’s going to be even harder, so the only way to deal with it is to reframe those expectations. Don’t worry about the things you can’t control or change, and instead concentrate on making what you can control as amazing as it can be.

‘By adapting to appreciate what we have been given the liberty to do rather than mourn what we’ve lost, we’ll find ourselves much less stressed.’

Make a ‘done’ list

If you obsess over the things you have to do, make a ‘done’ list instead of a ‘to-do’ list, suggests Chloe. ‘List all the tasks you’ve completed, whether it’s just taking the bins out or writing the Christmas cards, then celebrate your achievement and give yourself credit for it.’

This approach allows you to see the wood for the trees. It’s about celebrating the small wins and not overburdening ourselves with a never-ending list of tasks.

Meet our experts

Neil Shah, Chief De-stressing Officer for the Stress Management Society (stress.org.uk)

Chloe Brotheridge, hypnotherapist and coach (calmer-you.com) and author of Brave New Girl