Christmas can be a stressful time of year!
The expense of buying gifts, the pressure of last minute shopping, and the heightened expectations of family togetherness can all combine to undermine our best intentions.
We wanted to give you practical suggestions this year, that can help you reduce your Christmas stress and make it a more enjoyable holiday.
This blog, we are talking Christmas gifts…
If you have a large circle of extended family or friends to buy gifts for, it can be very costly, not too mention bad for the environment (depending on what you are buying).
Did you know wrapping paper is not recyclable?!
You might be able to reduce the stress and cost of Christmas for everyone if you suggest a change in the way your family and friends give presents.
For example, you could suggest that your group:
Buy presents only for the children.
Have a Secret Santa, where everyone draws a name out of a hat and buys a present only for that person.
Set a limit on the cost of presents for each person.
Remember, presents don’t have to cost money – you can also give of your time or experience. Offer to help someone with a task they need to do, such as building a garden bed or painting the fence, or offer your services as a babysitter/chauffeur/dog walker/proofreader/financial adviser/birthday cake maker – whatever matches your skill set and the time you have available.
Arrange with your family to each pass on a book that you have loved but are unlikely to read a second time. Everyone will benefit from each other’s recommendations, and there’s instant entertainment available for after lunch!
Give an experience you can do together, like lunch or a hike or massage.
Get them the gift of health - Peruse our shop here or get them a gift voucher for a consult.
Instead of spending money on each other, why not pool resources and give to a charity or cause?
Be mindful of the environment this Christmas, what presents are made of and what sustainable gifts you can invest instead. Teach children about the value of Christmas, not just the presents!
Next blog, we’ll be talking all things food!