For some people, the Christmas period is not always one of festive joy but a time when their troubles seem to crystallise and the need for help from CABA becomes apparent.
Challenges around money, relationships and stress tend to come to the fore. However, there is much that can be done if you act to tackle these problems in advance - and these hints and tips could help to make Christmas and New Year a period to enjoy rather than endure.
MONEY
It’s easy to try to live beyond your means at Christmas, however it’s important not to over indulge. You don’t want to end up paying for it well into the New Year. The following tips may help you:
• Don't delay, save today!
People with money worries often tend to continue overspending wildly on Christmas, delaying facing their problems until the New Year. This approach is inadvertently supported by the fact that many debtors are slower to chase outstanding payments in December, so the immediate pressure on them can seem to disappear. However, if you keep spending, you are just escalating a mountain of debt.
• Work out your financial position and seek help
Life can sometimes get in the way and it’s easy to try to ignore financial problems until they reach breaking point. If you contact CABA, we can help you work out what your financial position really is, then start the process of constructing a debt plan that puts you on a firmer footing for the future. The best time to do this is not January, it is now. Once you take steps to start solving your problems, you will probably begin to feel better.
For information and resources visit our Money resources area here.
RELATIONSHIPS
The pressure of the Christmas season can put more than our bank balances and waistbands under stress, relationships are often affected too. These simple steps can help to improve matters:
• Manage expectations
Holiday stress is often caused by disappointed expectations - not material ones in the form of gifts but just that the whole event didn't measure up. An easy way to avoid this is to find out what your partner and family want to do and to achieve over Christmas and the New Year, and then plan so that everyone's needs can be considered. This will allow some realistic but effective compromises to be made.
• Plan ahead and make space
Most people have a lot of time pressures on them over Christmas to visit and to accommodate family and friends. This can create demands ranging from undertaking long journeys on busy motorways to having to deal with a house full of people bursting at the seams. So, making a plan that looks fun and isn't onerous can help to reduce stress. Accept that it is not possible to do everything that might be asked of you. It is also important to put some "time out" days in the diary when you and your family can simply kick back and relax with no pressures at all.
• Drink sensibly (click here)
At the root of many Christmas and New Year arguments is excessive alcohol consumption. Drinking within sensible bounds will mean that you and those around you will tend to behave in a much more tolerant and less fractious manner.
LONELINESS
There is a sense that Christmas is all about being with your loved ones and surrounding yourself with friends and family, but for some of us this isn’t a reality. If you find yourself on your own why not try some of the following tips to making your solo Christmas something special.
• Treat yourself
Plan your day ahead and strive to make it special. Perhaps start the day with a relaxing bubble bath and dress up a bit. Don’t forget the presents, treat yourself to something you’ve wanted for ages and stock up on all your favourite food and drink.
• Keep in touch
Phone a long lost relative or friend. The delight in their voice will give you a real boost.
• Do something different
If you are not a fan of watching television, then press the ‘off’ switch and spend the day curled up with a good book or go for a walk through your local town.
For information and resources visit our Wellbeing resources area here.
REMEMBER WHAT IS IMPORTANT
We may consider the festive period to be ‘the season to be jolly’, but the meaning of Christmas is much bigger than that. It is a time of giving and generosity – not just with material possessions, but with our time.
• Consider your neighbours
Remember to visit any of your neighbours who may be alone on Christmas Day and check they are ok. This simple act of kindness can make such a difference.
• Share
Christmas is considered a time of excess. Too much food. Too much drink. If you have anything going spare, consider donating to those less fortunate. Your local town or city is likely to have programmes set up to support the homeless through the season.
For information and resources visit our Wellbeing resources area here.
STRESS
With a flood of year-ends to complete plus the pressures of meeting all of the season's family and social obligations, you often arrive at Christmas itself feeling frazzled and highly strung. Try these tips:
• Teach yourself basic relaxation skills
Knowing how to relax is a skill like any other. To tackle your stress, learn some basic relaxation techniques such as gentle stretching exercises of the neck and arm muscles and slow steady breathing. Recognise any perfectionist tendencies you have and try instead to work out what is reasonably possible.
• Make time to take some exercise
Regular exercise can reduce stress levels by burning off the excess adrenaline that stressful situations can often prompt the body to create. It also takes you out of your usual environment and may allow you to see things in a different, calmer perspective.
• Watch what you eat and drink
Try to reduce your intake of easily available 'uppers' and 'downers' such as coffee and alcohol. Small amounts may help in the short term but too much can easily create additional health problems and lead to a reliance that may, in itself, become an issue. Also, try to control how much festive food you eat - a healthy diet is something else that can help you to deal better with the effects of stress.
For information and resources visit our Wellbeing resources area here.
FURTHER READING
How to achieve your New Year resolutions - CABA ARTICLE
Managing Christmas stress - MIND BLOG
For help and support call us on 0800 1076163
We are available 24 hours a day over the Christmas and New Year period