Wave: Festive survival guide

It’s the most wonderful time of the year – or so the song goes. Lily Blackmore looks at ways of easing the pressure for a very happy Christmas

Christmas is the best time of the year: food, family time and lots of fun. Yet with all the rushing about and general chaos Christmas brings, what is supposed to be a time of enjoyment can quickly become… a bit of a nightmare. To help you survive this obstacle course of indulgence and pressure, here’s some tips which could make it a little easier to have a good time.

Family pressure

The festive season can be a positive time for families, but the pressure of trying to have the ‘perfect’ Christmas can really take its toll. Being able to make it less stressful for you and the people you care about could be beneficial.

Let’s face it, we all want to push the boat out and make it really special, but we don’t want to spend time worrying on Christmas Day about the credit card bill we’ll be getting in January. Plan what you’re going to spend and stick to a budget to help lighten the load a little.

Try not to take on too much yourself. How are you supposed to enjoy yourself if you’re doing all the hard work? Divide up what you need to do, whether it’s cooking, decorating or wrapping presents, and delegate it to other members of the family, making sure you all have time to relax too.

Once Christmas is all over, we feel a bit deflated, which isn’t always good for the people around us. Set a date to take the decorations down so you’re not left pining after the festivities. Plan a family event as a treat post Christmas to lift the spirits. It doesn’t have to be expensive – just a family walk along the Sussex Downs or down to the seafront for some fresh sea air will get you all out the house and thinking positively about the new year. Not to mention working off all those mince pies and boosting endorphins – the feel-good chemical.

Eat right

Food is one of the greatest things about Christmas time, but the worst thing is feeling sluggish afterwards. We’ve got to indulge ourselves at some point, however you don’t want to feel lethargic when it’s all over.

Substitute your favourite foods for healthier alternatives, such as sausage meat stuffing for chestnuts, puff pastry mince pies for filo pastry, and swap darker meats for white meat. Eat a small amount of good quality chocolate as a sweet treat instead of a cheaper, family-size alternative.

Alcohol can be calorific: avoiding creamy drinks and alcopops, sticking to low calorie mixers and white wine and soda will allow you to have a good time, and feel good too.

And relax…

With so much going on, we need a good night’s sleep to be able to function properly – it’s essential to surviving the festive period.

Heartburn and indigestion is annoying when trying to drift off. Although it can be tricky at this time of year, try and avoid rich foods just before bedtime.

Nicotine and alcohol also have a bad influence on our sleep. With nicotine, it’s the adrenaline kick that keeps you up, while the effects of drinking alcohol wear off, making it difficult to sleep. Bear this in mind if you’re struggling to have a peaceful night’s rest.

Most of all, don’t feel pressured to do anything and try not to panic! Things will work out and it’ll all calm down eventually… until next year.