Although it may seem a while away, Christmas is fast approaching, and you don’t want to make the same mistake every year where you leave your prepping until the last minute. The holiday season is meant to be full of joy and relaxation, we’re here to help you make sure it doesn’t turn into a stressful race against time. From Christmas shopping to Christmas dinner, here are our tips for a stress-free holiday.
Benefits of Early Christmas Preparation
As with anything, preparation is key. Even more key when it’s done early! Here are just some of the benefits that come with prepping for Christmas early:
- Stress reduction. Planning early alleviates a lot of on-the-day stress and last-minute panic. Buying your turkeys for Christmas in advance, prepping the veg the night before, and wrapping presents weeks in advance, allows you to actually enjoy the day.
- Financial planning. Decide on a budget in the lead-up to Christmas for presents, decorations, and food and drink. And stick to it! This eases the financial strain as you can plan what you’re spending.
- Better gift selection. By starting your Christmas shopping early, it gives you time to choose thoughtful gifts and take advantage of sales. It also means you can avoid costly next-day delivery shipping fees.
- More time for creativity. Early preparation means you can take more time to create those special DIY gifts and personalised decorations without the time crunch.
Create a Christmas Countdown Plan
6 Months Out
It might seem extreme, but 6 months before Christmas, it’s time to start your plan. Set your budget and start saving start saving. You can tally up how much you’ll need for food, travel, gifts, and decorations. You only need to save a small amount, but it helps avoid the large financial hit in December.
4 Months Out
Start shopping 4 months before Christmas to help save stress before December. Create a list of gift recipients and brainstorm ideas. If any sales are on at this time, this is a perfect opportunity to save some money whilst you’re getting organised.
3 Months Out
Plan any travel and accommodation to get good deals. It’s also a great time to discuss schedules and plans with whoever you’re spending Christmas with so they can begin to make arrangements too. For example, if you’re having family over for Christmas, you can start to think about sorting out bedrooms and making sure you have any temporary bed solutions.
2 Months Out
Declutter your home to make space for decorations and gifts. This is especially important if you have kids who will be receiving lots of presents! Declutter cupboards and wardrobes, and even get out the decorations from last year to make a list of anything that needs adding or replacing.
1 Month Out
Plan menus, make a shopping list, and finalise the details for people coming to stay over. It’s also a good idea to start wrapping and labelling your gifts to avoid last-minute stress closer to the time. After all, you want to enjoy your December!
Tips for Procrastinators
Everyone procrastinates a little, it’s human nature! But if you’re someone who frequently puts things off until the last minute, these tips are for you.
Gifts
If you’ve left it until the last minute and you’re running out of time to get a gift, gift cards, experience days, or homemade treats are the perfect last-minute solution.
Decoration
When you’re busy with work, family life, and other commitments, it can be difficult to find the best time to decorate your house. For a quick way to spread the festive cheer, you can:
- Add ribbons to foliage for a festive look
- Create a DIY ladder Christmas tree with sticks you find in the garden or the woods
- Create a festive fireplace with fairy lights, stockings, or garlands
- Create an ornament wreath
- Use mason jars as candle holders
- Do some origami and make paper snowflakes
Managing stress
If you can feel the stress building, try some breathing techniques, make sure to take breaks and try going on walks to help stay calm during the rush of the holidays.