Making Christmas Day Work For You and Your Loved Ones

Hello, and welcome.

By now you’ve probably decided with whom you’ll spend this Christmas and where you’ll spend the festive period, and hopefully you’ve organised gifts and if necessary, travel.

But what about the Christmas celebrations? Are there ways to make them more enjoyable—and relaxing? 

I think so. Here are some tips I hope will help you:

Establish a few set times. When will you unwrap gifts? Enjoy the Christmas meal? Open stockings if that’s part of Christmas for you? 

Set two or three specific times for events on Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, and/or Boxing Day—one event each day is ideal—and make sure everyone is aware of them. Keep to time as best you can.

Apart from those occasions, however, encourage everyone to choose for themselves the way they want to spend the rest of the time. Too much togetherness, especially because we’re not as used to it as once we were, will encourage discomfort. Allow spaces in your togetherness.

Set aside a ‘time out’ space. Gathering people together when there’s little natural light, and doing so in confined spaces, invites emotional discomfort. Make sure there’s a place anyone can go to ‘cool off’ if they’re feeling weary or tempers are flaring. A time out room, with a sign on the door to indicate whether someone is using it, is ideal.

Give everyone a role. No one likes to see one person struggling bravely to do all the preparations, cooking and washing up—it just invites a sense of guilt! 

List all the jobs that need doing—clearing wrapping paper, setting the table, making salad dressing, whatever—and write each on a slip of paper. Then as each guest arrives, ask them to draw out a job. Everyone will feel more equal that way.

Go easy on the alcohol. Alcohol disinhibits, and could encourage unnecessary arguments. Don’t be too quick to refill glasses, and offer spritzers to dilute alcohol content.

Get outside! Natural light and exercise encourage the production of endorphins, our feel good chemicals, and the outdoors means more space for each individual. Encourage everyone who’s able to do so to take a walk—preferably a dog walk (I would say that, wouldn’t I?!)—for at least half an hour every day. 

Until next time, happy holidays!

Linda