Christmas stresses me out. There, I said it.

We have no money most of the year, but at Christmas, it gets ridiculous. Already stretched budgets get more pressure, more millions of people everywhere. I’m not going to go on about commercialism and all of that stuff, or whine about worrying about keeping us all fed.

Instead, I’m going to share some advice I got in a Christmas card, from a local mental health charity, Mind (Washington). More about them here.

So, anyway.. Their 7 top tips are:
1. Drink sensibly – alcohol is a depressant, drinking excessively causes low mood.
2. Eat healthily – healthy diet can improve mood and overall Wellbeing.
3. Be active – gentle exercise can reduce anxiety, lift mood, and improve self esteem.
4. Get involved – being around other people is important to improving physical and mental Wellbeing.
5. Relax – try listening to relaxing music, a relaxation CD and/or control your breathing.
6. Sleep – try to establish a routine for bedtime.
7. Challenge yourself – set an achievable goal for something you can do over the Christmas period.

I intend to have a go at these, and my challenge for myself is too not get too stressed! We’ll see how that goes.

From me and my lot…

Happy Xmas/Holidays/Time off work!

Whatever religion/non religion you belong to!