Join now

Already a member? Sign in

Welcome to Inspire!

What - Inspire is a place where you can connect with people who share your health concerns and find information and advice in groups sponsored by organizations you know and trust.

Why - As a member you can use Inspire to let friends and family know how you're doing, contact others who share your health concerns, receive personalized updates and information about participating in surveys and clinical trials, and more.

How - Joining Inspire is completely free and usually takes less than a minute. Join now!

corner corner corner

TIPS for coping at Christmas

LadyJaneG
0 Recommendations

I sure could use some tips for coping .....I find Christmas to soooooooooo stressful. And I just wish it wasn't like that. I have a wonderful supportive family. I really don't have much stresses in my life, we are all fairly healthy..its just the "christmas" thing..the shopping, the rush, the people...I miss our loved ones terribly who aren't here with us...for me its not a happy occasion....and it should be! and I want it to be! This year I decided to take a week off work mid Dec just to "chill" and regroup and take my time with shopping and decorating etc etc etc.....All I know is when I wake up on Dec 24th, I feel like I can breathe easy again............why is this?????????

Explore topics in this discussion:

Stress

7 replies

WendyStation

I often feel similar about Christmas, LadyJaneG... for me, it's always a challenge to know what to get for each of my loved ones.
Two suggestions which work for me, are:
1) to start shopping early, and
2) shop online as much as possible.

Honestly... if you would challenge yourself to finish ALL your shopping by the end of November, you'll make yourself a happy woman! (And, the shopping's no easier in December!)

(... Hmmm, now if only I can convince myself to practice what I preach, and get shopping!)

MichelleN

I have a list of everyone I want to get something for in my wallet. When I see something out that I think would work I check to make sure I don't have something for them already. Honestly I've been working since last year, but this year I'm making them.

The stress for me is hoping that they like what I have for them. I don't wrap I only use bags & when I buy something I pull the price off then put it right in a bag with the persons name on it.

I try to spend an hour a day staring at the TV or doing something that doesn't let me think about holidays. I hope you find something to help.

Michelle

Sandy_H

Dear Friends

We all love Christmas but I try to remember it's only 1 day and not the end of the world.
I write a list of everyone I want to buy a gift for and have a Christmas card list that I tick off every year. A friend of mine has a book of gifts where she writes down what she is given by whom and what she buys for them. This helps her every year when buying the next gift for birthdays or christmas. I'm not that organised yet.
Have an extra little gift of biscuits, lollies, chocolates just in case you forget someone. Then you don't stress as much.
Enjoy the holiday season and remember shops stay open longer. As long as you let your family and friends know you love them that's all that really matters. Happy Season. Cheers Sandy

Dignity

Good tip Wendy!!!! :-) I've also started my Christmas shopping now and hope to have it over by the end of this week. Also took a week off for that!!!

Take care and good Christmas shopping

Dignity

one_lil_red_hen

I started shopping in January. I hit the clearance racks whenever I'm in a store. If there's something there for really cheap, I'll pick it up and I have a place in the hall closet to store it.

I'm going to buy gift wrap this month (at the dollar store) and begin wrapping them (the ones I already have). Then I'll see what I have for everyone and then the 1st of Dec if anyone is lacking a gift, I'll get it then. Full price or not.

Last year I spent too much money the month of Dec for Christmas. It was a financial wreck.

I don't want to feel stressed out either. Last year I thought I was done with the shopping, then I let my daughter rope me into going out with her repeatedly to finish her shopping.

I think I don't want to do that again this year. So some time in the next week or so, I'm going to let her know I'm not doing any shopping the last two weeks before Christmas.

As far as Christmas dinner, we've already decided to make chicken and dumplings the day before so it will just be, make some rice and heat up the chicken and dumplings on Christmas Day.

We haven't talked about deserts, but I'm planning on making a couple of pumpkin pies from the pumpkin I carved for Halloween. It was a really big pumpkin and I've cooked two pot fulls down so far, and ziplocked it in the freezer. I have one pot left to cook tomorrow.

Jane, just try to think about what the spirit of the season means, and then try to relax as much as possible. Don't shop everyday, give yourself a break between shopping trips.

If you shop Walmart, try going at 2am. I kid you not, there's hardly ever anyone there at that time of the night before Thanksgiving begins. It makes it easier for me to concentrate and it's way less stressful. It works for me.

I know sometimes there's all these get togethers with family members. First this one's house, then another's...

Pick out the ones you'll really like to be at, then turn the others down, or drop by their house alone some evening, you really don't have to do the big events that suck the life out of ya. Do it on terms that you can live with. You know your limitations, work within them.

What gets done, gets done, what doesn't will not kill anyone, but trying to do more than you're capable of is self defeating.

It might help you to make a list of those you;re shopping for.
Check them off as you go.
Hire a niece or newphew to wrap the presents and pay them a few dollars... or

Buy the gift bags instead of wrapping paper. Michelle has the right idea on that. The dollar stores here, you can get them for a buck a piece, sometimes, smaller ones a few for a buck.

Sometimes when shopping online you can pick the option for them to wrap the item. You can even have it delivered to their address instead of yours. That's a nice feature that a lot of the stores offer.

I just went and picked up some of the day after chocolates from Halloween to have a few extra candies.

One year I bought a bag of socks, you know the ones that come six pairs in a bag. I got a bag for men and a bag for women. Folded them into pairs and then tied ribbon around them, didn't wrap them, just tied a pretty ribbon around them. The usable gag gift... gets you off the hook~

That's a few ideas I have for enjoying more and suffering less~

Happy Holidays Everyone!

~hen

LadyJaneG

I'm loving reading all of your wonderful ideas! Thank you all! The things I love about Christimas - the whole "reason"why we have Christmas, being with family, the music, the tree, the egg nog...mmmmmmm....but why or why can't it just all be "calm" and "peaceful".....?????????????

L0L...but we are in the year 2009...aren't we?? Thanks all!

MichelleN

Another thing I do is to have extra gifts like Hen. I get things like coffee cups & just silly Christmas things, but I get those the year before & keep them in my present box. I also always have a few puzzle books that I can just throw in a gift bag. After Holidays I get gift bags to replace the ones I give that are colors for any holiday or birthday because they tend to be really cheap.

Michelle

Add to the discussion

Don't have an Inspire account? Join now!

Forgot password?

Group leaders

You