With Christmas Day rapidly approaching it can feel as though the list of jobs that still need doing are starting to spiral out of control. Christmas should be a fun, relaxed time of year. A time for us to be with our loved ones and to escape the usual stresses of daily life. But it doesn’t always turn out like that. Often we forget how to stay calm during the holidays and come Boxing Day we’re burned out, stressed, and wondering why we put ourselves through this every year. But don’t worry, because I’m going to share some things you can do as part of your Christmas Day prep that will guarantee you a stress-free Christmas.
If you’re looking for ways to reduce your holiday stress and to find out how you can enjoy a relaxing Christmas instead of a stressful one, then stick around as I have 7 simple tips that you can use for your Christmas Day prep that will leave you enjoying the day as much as everybody else.
1. Create A Plan For Christmas Day
Planning is a key component to helping you feel in control this Christmas. Once you know how many guests you’ll have on Christmas day, how many presents you need to buy, when you’re visiting different family and friends, and what activities you’ve got booked in over the festive period, then you can start to get more organised.
Start off by concentrating on Christmas Day. Whilst you don’t need to be totally regimental about it, it is always a good idea to have a rough timetable for the day. Remember to include meal timings, what time people are arriving, when you’re going to unwrap presents, and most importantly remember to include time for the after dinner nap on the sofa!
Create a checklist for the jobs that need doing before the big day itself, for example Christmas card writing, present wrapping, menu plans etc. By having these jobs written down it will help unload your brain and avoid any last-minute stress.
2. Come Up With A Simple Menu
If you believe what the glossy magazines tell you, there’s this idea that Christmas food should be all fancy schmancy. I’m talking canapes and cocktails, starter, main, dessert, cheese board, wines to pair with every course. Like seriously, it’s enough to send anyone into a spin. It’s time to take the pressure off and come up with a menu that’s made up of dishes that are easy to prepare and that can be made ahead of the big day.
No one wants to spend the majority of Christmas Day hidden away in the kitchen while everyone else is having fun. So, choose diches that you know everyone will like. You can’t go far wrong with sticking to the traditional roast turkey. And really it’s just like any other roast dinner. Just make sure you have a meat free alternative and then you should have everyone covered.
There’s nothing wrong in buying ready to cook options from the supermarket. Shop bought cauliflower cheese, stuffing, bread sauce, red cabbage etc. will save you hours in the kitchen and once you’ve decanted them into serving bowls, or dished them up onto people’s plates no one’s even going to bat an eyelid.
3. Delegate Tasks
Don’t be afraid of asking for help, after all who said you had to be in charge of everything!?! Christmas Day prep is all about coming together as a team and sharing the load. To help take the pressure off, ask your guests to bring something with them, for example each household could be in charge of a different course. Not only does this help with Christmas stress management, but it also means the financial load is shared too. The average Christmas dinner costs £32.57 per person, so if you’re hosting 8 people that’s going to cost you roughly £260 pounds. That’s before you’ve taken drinks into account and any snacks and nibbles you might have throughout the rest of the day. It is expensive!
To ensure you enjoy a stress-free Christmas it’s important to get everyone involved, even the kids. You can easily delegate jobs such as setting the table, carving the turkey, serving drinks, clearing the plates, washing the dishes etc. while you concentrate on making sure the sprouts don’t bubble over and the turkey doesn’t burn. You are just as entitled to enjoy Christmas Day as much as everyone else is and this will help your stress levels no end.
4. Don’t Leave It To The Last Minute
If you leave everything to the last minute, then of course you’re going to feel stressed. Get ahead of the game and you’ll feel way more in control in run up to Christmas.
As part of your Christmas Day prep you should:
- Get your present shopping done in good time – If you’re shopping online, allow enough time for orders to be delivered (and to be returned or exchanged in case of any problems). And if you’re shopping in person, the closer you leave it to Christmas the busier it will be, you are more likely to panic buy, you may end up spending more money, and you run the risk of products being out of stock.
- Book your online food delivery – Time slots for online food deliveries get booked up weeks in advance. Register with all of the supermarkets that deliver to you and they will send you an email when slots become available.
- Write a food shopping list – It’s all too easy to buy too much food at Christmas and often it doesn’t all get eaten. To avoid food waste and eating more than you need, work out what food you actually need and write a shopping list so that you aren’t tempted to pop any extras in the trolley when you do your Christmas food shop.
5. Get Prepping
Christmas Day prep is, well, it’s all about the prep! The more prepared you are the less stressed you’ll be. It’s honestly that simple. There are lots of jobs you can get done ahead of Christmas Day that means you can then put your feet up and enjoy the festivities.
Certain food can be prepared in advance and then frozen, for example you can par boil potatoes ready to be roasted, make stuffing, mince pies, sausage rolls etc. You can also peel and chop your vegetables the night before so that you don’t have that job to do on Christmas day. Root vegetables like potatoes, carrots, and parsnips can be stored in bowls of cold water overnight, ready for you to use the next day. And green vegetables can be trimmed and placed in food containers in the fridge to keep them fresh.
You can also lay the table and set up any decorations the night before to help save time. Perhaps set up a drinks station, with glasses, a bottle opener, corkscrew etc. so that people can then help themselves whenever they want a drink, which also save you a job the next day too!
6. Plan for Some Quiet Time
Christmas Day can be quite hectic at times. It can be loud, hot, busy, and there can be a lot going on. It’s natural to feel overwhelmed, but it’s how you deal with these feelings that makes the difference between you having a stressful Christmas versus you chilling out and enjoying the holiday season.
Schedule breaks in your day when you can escape the craziness for a short period of time. If you have a dog, they’ll still need a walk, so volunteer to be the one that takes them out. Take some time to enjoy a morning coffee before anyone else is up. Hey, spend a little longer in the loo than you need to, if that’s what will give you 5 minutes of peace. Do whatever it takes.
Use this time out to recharge your social batteries so that you can enjoy the celebrations and be your best you.
7. Go With The Flow
Nothing ever goes completely to plan. But there’s no need to beat yourself up about it. People aren’t expecting perfection, so you shouldn’t either. Remember, Christmas is all about spending time with your loved ones, it’s not about having the juiciest turkey, the most expensive presents, or the tallest Christmas tree. So what if you can’t get the Christmas pudding to light. Big deal if the crackers don’t snap. It is not the end of the world. The likelihood is, you’ll look back in years to come and laugh about it, because it’s moments like these that make the best Christmas memories.
Final Thoughts
These 7 simple tips for Christmas Day prep hold the secret to a stress-free Christmas. There’s no need for you to be rushing around, getting your knickers in a twist, and worrying about things that ultimately don’t matter. As long as you have a roof over your head, your family around you, and food on the table that’s all you really need for the perfect Christmas Day.
What Do You Do To Help With Your Christmas Day Prep?
I’d love to hear how you make your Christmas Day as stress-free as possible, so please get in touch!
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Author Bio
Becky Stafferton is a full-time content creator, web publisher, and blogging coach. She continually strives to promote a realistic, sustainable and positive image of how to lead a healthy life. When she’s not writing she can be found running through muddy puddles, making lists of lists, having a good old moan, talking in funny voices to her dog, renovating her house in the country, and teaching others how to make money from their blogs.