Christmas is a wonderful time of year, with food, family, present giving and, if you’re lucky, a little time off work to enjoy the sunshine. Christmas also comes with a lot of stress including, travel, debt, and family dramas. There is a lot you can do to make your Christmas as stress-free as possible. There are three rules to remember for a stress-free Christmas.

Own Your Christmas

I don’t mean you should go out and copyright Santa. I mean live Christmas by your rules. Repeat after me.

I will create the christmas that brings me joy.

Stoblaki

Often at this time of year, we find ourselves beholden to the needs of others. I can’t count the number of Christmases that I have spent travelling from event to event so that we could make sure that we “saw everyone”. we would often leave home at about 10 am & not return until 8 at night. It’s exhausting and left the children (and me) tired and cranky. one of the best Christmases I ever had was when I decided to stay at home and put on lunch for my folks. I spent the day in my happy place in the kitchen and with the people I loved. Life was simple and (relatively) stress-free.

Whatever you do, make sure it is something that is making you happy.

Manage Your Spending

Christmas is a commercial goldmine, with retailers piling on the pressure to buy up big for all your relatives, bikes, toys, homewares, electronics you name it. Food is another massive expense, after all, no Christmas is complete without seafood, turkey, ham, salads, spuds, veggies, massive pies, puddings and pavlovas. All culminating in the inevitable food coma at about 2 pm. Australians on average will waste about 25% of the food purchased for Christmas day. It is a great time for indulgence and celebration but please plan your Christmas to be as waste friendly as you can.

Repeat after me:

Christmas should will not put me in financial stress.

stoblaki

That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t have the seafood, or ham, or spend money on those dear to you. Just make sure that what you spend fits within your budget. There is no point in trying to keep up with the Joneses.

Avoid The Drama

Christmas brings out the best, and sometimes the worst in people. It time is when you are often required to spend time with family members that you may (or may not) like. Throw in a carton or two of booze and a summer day reaching into the mid ’30s and one of two things are going to happen. Everyone will eat and drink until they fall into a food coma.

Or, as is frequently the case.

Uncle Bruce will down a half bottle of scotch and start claiming that he invented the apostrophe and that the PM is a lizard. Your dad will arc up about how ridiculous that sounds. Obviously, the apostrophe was invented by Pietro Bembo in 1496. Everything escalates from there and before you know it someone is wearing the wrong end of a garden gnome.

Repeat after me.

I do not need to give and attention time to anyone I dont want to.

Stoblaki

These joy vampires exist in every family, they often get their jollies by starting arguments and causing drama, but just don’t engage. Avoid any discussions touching on politics, conspiracy theories, or punctuation. Better still make your excuses and leave with dignity.

A Stoblaki Christmas

To me, Christmas is a time to spend enjoying the company of people I love. It’s about reflecting on the year past and getting excited about the year ahead. It’s about food, love and laughter. Christmas is about people. This year I will be away from my children and parents. I will miss them dearly and they will be deep in my thoughts throughout the day.

Instead, this year I will be making new memories and starting new traditions with the love of my life. Stobie loves Christmas, her excitement is infectious and it brings me joy to see her face light up. I can’t wait to get started on cooking, laughing, eating and silliness.

Merry Christmas to you all. I hope you all have a joyful stress-free Christmas.

Stoblaki 23/12/2022

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