5 Tips for Staying Sane in the run-up to Christmas

With less than 6 weeks to go until Christmas, mamas whose families celebrate these year-end holidays start to feel more overwhelmed than usual.  To-do lists grow ever longer.  Time, along with the daylight, seems to escape with each passing day.  And stress levels start rising.

The reality is, most mamas who celebrate Christmas have the best of intentions and their families at the heart of everything they do.  You want your family to have a special festive season.  You want your children to experience the magic of these holidays.  But do you really have to do all.the.things?

Here are 5 Tips for staying ahead (and staying sane) in the run-up to Christmas:

1. PLAN AHEAD. 

The number one key to setting yourself and your family up for success in the festive season is to plan ahead.   Spread your to-do list out over the remaining 5 weeks instead of cramming into the last 2 and having that feeling of dread hanging over you. 

Also consider allocating tasks to each family member so that you are not the only person attacking the festive to-do list.

2. DO AHEAD. 

Once you have made a plan and thought of all the things that need to be done before the New Year, start executing a few things each day or week, depending on what’s on your list. 

The more you can do ahead of time, the more you will feel in control, prepared and be in a place to enjoy the process rather than feel stressed by it.  Things like gift making, buying and wrapping can all be done in advance. 

Meal planning and some prepping can also be done in advance.  Prep and freeze those dishes that are appropriate to do so. 

As shops get busier towards the end of the year, buy as many non-perishable staples as you can in November when the shops are calmer.  That way, you know your pantry is stocked and you only need to focus on the perishable items for your festive meals. 

3. INVOLVE THE KIDS.

Involve your children as much as possible in the planning and preparations so that it becomes a team effort - so much of the joy of Christmas is actually in all the activities and preparation leading up to it. 

Children love the anticipation but also truly enjoy participating.  For them, it’s fun to take out all the decorations and decide where to put them. It’s fun to start making and wrapping gifts or baking holiday treats.  It’s even fun to design table settings or help prep dishes to be frozen in advance of the big day. 

Other things they can do include:  cleaning & organising the house, other household chores, basic errands, recycling, looking after younger siblings, taking care of pets, writing and addressing cards.

4. WRAP AS YOU GO. 

In addition to making or purchasing gifts as early as possible or a little at a time, try to wrap and sort them as you go as well.  That way you don’t face a bundle of gifts to frantically wrap at the last minute when you have a lot of other things that need your attention. 

In addition to wrapping and labeling your gifts as you purchase them, it also helps to sort them as you wrap them.  Have and label a bag for each person and pop gifts into the appropriate bag so they are all separated by person.  Do the same for any stocking items - one bag per stocking.

5. KEEP IT SIMPLE. 

Sometimes we tend to overcomplicate things for ourselves thinking we need to be all the things to everyone or give our kids all the incredible experiences that we possibly can.  The reality is, if you try to do all the things and be all the things to everyone, overwhelm is inevitable. 

It’s self-sabotage. 

Your kids don’t need all the stuff or even the full table spread.  They want and will remember most, quality time with you - laughing, playing and having fun. 

We have a tendency to overcomplicate life in the run-up to Christmas.  Be aware of this and try to keep things simple and focus on what really matters. 

And let the rest go.

A GIFT FOR YOU 🎄🎄🎄

To help you plan ahead, stay on top of your festive to-do list and set you and your family up for success during the festive season, grab your FREE 5-PAGE FESTIVE PLANNER below! 🎄🎄🎄