Christmas, a day of celebration, unfortunately is a stressful event for many people. Here are some practical tips to beat the stress.

1. Car park rage: Ask your spouse, children, parents or friends to drop you off and pick you up from the shopping center. You can return the favor another time. If you don’t have anyone to drop you off and pick you up, then use public transport, if available and practical. If you don’t have any other choice but to drive your own vehicle to the shopping mall, then learn to relax. If someone has deliberately or mistakenly taken the parking space you have been waiting for, then take a deep breath. If safe to do so, get out of the car, approach the person and wish him or her ‘Merry Christmas’. Walk away. If it is not safe to approach the person, then take a deep breath, say a little prayer and ask God for one of the virtues – patience. Do not let that person spoil your day.

2. Gifts: Resist procrastination. Plan ahead. Buy within your means. Do not ‘max-out’ your credit card. It is the thought that counts. If you buy a gift for some one, that means you care about that person.  Gifts should be symbols of care and love. Instead, if you buy gifts to impress, then you deserve to be stressed. If you are surrounded by people, who expect gifts which require you to spend beyond your means, then stay away from them.

3. People: If your past experience show that visiting or inviting certain people, whether they are in-laws or friends or relatives, on the glorious Christmas day brings you misery rather than celebration, then say NO to those people this year. It is that simple. Don’t let someone else spoil your Christmas day.

4. Food: It doesn’t have to be that Turkey again. Break the tradition and relax. Cook something that you are good at and importantly, something that your family enjoys. Don’t spend your whole day in the kitchen, hoping to impress someone. What is the point of cooking that stuffed Turkey, when your kids want sausages?

5. Give: Make a budget for your Christmas. This should be within your means and you should be able to pay it off in full when the credit card statement comes in. Put aside 10% of this amount and give it to the needy. Just watch the smile on their face. Nothing else will make you happier and stress-free. Prove me wrong.

6. Remember: Remember the reason for the season. You have Christmas because of Christ. Just thank Him. Submit yourself and ask Him to guide you. You will be stress-free. Once again, the onus is on you to prove me wrong. Be bold to wish someone ‘Merry Christmas’ instead of ‘Happy Holidays’ or ‘Happy festive seasons’.

Have a stress-free Merry Christmas.

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