4 Tips to Prepare for the Holiday Season

Date Posted:1 December 2022 

Before the silly season starts to get – well – silly, take some time to prepare yourself and the family for the month to come. In this article, we share our top tips for reducing stress over the holidays so you can make this December your best one yet.

 

Christmas has a great knack of sneaking up on us each year. Without warning, Santa springs into TV commercials, gingerbread is back on supermarket shelves and Mariah Carey is playing, well, everywhere. 

For many of us, the holiday season arrives with a mix of excitement and anxiety. While there is a lot to love – the family traditions, the carols, the celebrations and the end-of-year wind-downs – there are also many stressors to navigate, from preparation and scheduling to packing. With this in mind, here are 4 tips to help minimise anxiety around the silly season to ensure this Christmas is your most enjoyable yet.

1. Have realistic expectations

This is one of the busiest periods of the year so it’s likely to feel messy and chaotic at times. From the get-go, be realistic about what you and your family can do. Prioritise the most important events and activities for the season, say ‘no’ when you need to, and schedule in breaks to help you and the family stay rested and energised.

 

2. Set a budget

There’s nothing worse than having a great month of celebrations only to find you’re out of pocket for January. Decide on how much you are prepared to spend over the holidays and do your best to stick within the boundaries to reduce stress. Tell family and friends about your budgeting plans so they are aware of your limits and help you stay on track. Another tip some savvy people swear by is creating a Christmas fund at the beginning of the year and adding to it little by little over the course of the year to take the sting out of December.

At the Sandalwood Shop, we’re proud to have a great range of products to suit every budget. Here are three great ideas under $15:

  

 

Mount Romance Relaxation Kit – $11.50

Mount Romance Hand Wash 250ml - $14.95

Santaleuca Roasted Sandalwood Nuts 125g - $14.95

 

3. Prepare ahead of time

To avoid last minute stresses, make lists your friend! A few weeks before the festive season kicks off, make time to jot down what you need to do, gifts you need to get, jobs you need to do around the house before entertaining, etc. Two great (and free!) apps for keeping tabs on to-dos are Notion and To-Doist. Another tip is to block out time in your calendar for jobs like gift wrapping, preparing the house and backyard, card writing, and setting up the tree so you’re not rushing. 

 

4. Find time for yourself

So much of the holiday season involves being around other people. While we love them and enjoy their company, it can start to take a toll on our energy levels. Make sure to carve out dedicated time in your Christmas calendar to de-stress, re-centre and reflect. It could be small daily ritual, like a 10-minute meditation, or a full night in: journalling and remembering the year that was, snuggling up with a good book or catching a movie you’ve been dying to see – maybe your favourite Christmas flick!

However you choose to re-energise, our range of Sandalwood candles, diffusers and aromatherapy tools help create a calming atmosphere for your me-time. Here are our team’s favourites:

Quintis Aromatherapy Candle - Lavender Sandalwood Album Oil - $39.95

Quintis Essential Oil Aromatherapy Diffuser - $79.95

Mount Romance Bath Salts 500g - $18.95

 

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Comments (1)

Gratitude

By: on 23 December 2022
" Thank you ."

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