Avoiding a Stressful Christmas

The festive season is supposed to be a restful and revitalizing time spent reconnecting with family and friends. Besides plenty of good cheer, they bring with them new sources of stress as well. To make your time as carefree and enjoyable as possible, plan ahead. Identify pre-emptively sources of holiday stress, and deal with them!

Financial stress

Gift-giving, drinking and dining can take a toll on your wallet. To avoid spending more than you intend, set your budget in advance.

• First, work out how much you can afford to spend in total.
• Next, estimate your expenditure. Based on previous years, forecast how much you’re likely to spend on food, drinks and parties. Make a list of everyone you intend to give a present to, and calculate how much you can afford to spend per person.
• Finally, exercise financial discipline by staying strictly within your budget.

One more tip, if you’re attending a gathering with lots of friends or family, suggest a Secret Santa. This way, everyone can avoid spending too much money because of the pre-set budget, but goes home with a thoughtful gift!

Shopping stress

Although Christmas ads might try to convince you otherwise, shopping this time of the yearcan be an extremely unpleasant experience. Queues at the entrance, in the aisle, for the cashier — with crowds everywhere, you could be forgiven for dreading Christmas shopping.

Fortunately, there are ways to beat the crowds.

• Shop on a weekday. If you’ve got some annual leave left, take a day or an afternoon off work to do your shopping.
• Shop online. With online shopping, we’ve got a lot less incentive to battle the human traffic. However, keep in mind that at this time of year, delivery tends to take significantly longer than usual due to increased demand. Place your orders earlier to leave ample time for delivery.
• Take public transport. No one wants to be trapped in one of Hong Kong’s notorious traffic jams after hours of gift shopping. If you haven’t bought any heavy or bulky items, consider taking the public transport instead of driving, and let someone else drive you around for a change!

Physical stress

Late-night parties, alcohol-fuelled gatherings and rich food can take their toll on anyone. If you’re feeling exhausted, don’t be afraid to give yourself a break. Take some time to exercise or catch up on sleep. You don’t need to accept every invitation you receive, and when you do attend, there’s no need to overindulge in food and drink. Eat sensibly, drink in moderation and try to get at least 7 hours of sleep per day, and you’ll find that you enjoy each social event a great deal more.

The end of the year is a valuable time to rest and recharge. Planning ahead ensures you do just that, and banishes festive stress from your holiday plans. When facing all kinds of stress, how about trying aromatherapy for a fragrant and worry-free Christmas?

What is aromatherapy?

Aromatherapy is a holistic healing treatment that uses natural plant extracts - essential oils - to heal the body, mind and spirit. Through inhalation, massage, bathing or diffusion, essential oils can be absorbed into the body via the respiratory system or the skin. Since essential oils have extremely small molecules with high permeability, some even have medical benefits, they are considered as a kind of natural healing that can relieve stress, lighten up the mood and promote physical health.

5 best essential oils for relieving stress

There are various types of essential oils with different benefits. Below are five essential oils recommended for relieving stress and healing the body.

1. Lavender essential oil

Said to be the perfect herb for relieving stress, lavender essential oil comes with a sweet and pleasant aroma, can help to soothe emotion, combat anxiety, relieve stress and nervousness. Good for people with insomnia as a few drops on the pillow can help for better sleep.

2. Bergamot essential oil

Comes with a citrus aroma mixed with a bit of floral scent, bergamot essential oil can help relieve restlessness and anxiety, also to lighten up the mood to bring you a piece of happiness.

3. Chamomile essential oil

A mix of sweet and sour scents, chamomile essential oil can help to reduce anxiety and relieve pain. It can also help to improve the quality of sleep and is good for a calming effect.

4. Jasmine essential oil

Jasmine essential oil has been described as an aphrodisiac. With a lusciously sweet scent, it can help boost energy and mood, increase confidence and make one feel more positive and upbeat.

5. Orange essential oil

Orange essential oil has a refreshing aroma and mild nature. It can help relieve nervousness and stress, beat anxiety-induced insomnia and improve the quality of sleep, making one feel more relaxed.

How to use essential oils?

Different usage of essential oils has different effects. You can choose the ones most suitable for your needs and preferences to reduce stress in an easy way.

• Inhalation: Put a few drops of essential oils on a handkerchief and cover it on your nose. Take a deep breath and calm your emotions.
• Diffusion: Put a few drops of essential oils into a diffuser to allow the aroma to diffuse in the air. It can help to eliminate bad smells and make one chill out.
• Bathing: Put a few drops of essential oils into the warm water for bathing. Bathe for 15 to 20 minutes to relieve stress and muscle pain.
• Massage: Massage the body with essential oils and allow them to be absorbed more quickly through the skin. And at the same time, help to relieve muscle stiffness and anxiety.