Christmas – The season of goodwill

A magical time for all, full of parties, celebrations and presents, but for many of us, it is a massively busy and stressful time and the more strain we put on ourselves, our family and our wallets, the less room we have to enjoy the magic of the season.

We can easily find ourselves stressed, tired and argumentative due to working longer hours before the festive holiday starts, worrying about the financial cost, getting all the Christmas shopping done in time and, for some, overdoing it with too many social commitments.

So how do we ensure that we take the strain out of Christmas and allow ourselves to have the best time we possibly can?

Here’s seven top tips from SMART Garden Offices.

Get Prepared Early

One of the easiest ways to get organised is to create a to-do-list which will provide you with clear visibility of all the tasks that you need to do leading up to and including Christmas Day. From that, you can break down the bigger tasks into smaller, more manageable chunks on a weekly basis. Scheduling activities into your calendar will also help keep you on track.

There is, after all, nothing more satisfying than ticking things off as they are done!

Set a Budget

Overspending at Christmas time is one of the biggest causes of stress, so set a budget and stick to it! It is important to take your normal expenses into account and then add on the additional costs of food, gifts, decorations and all the extra social events you have planned.

Another good way to stick to your budget is to leave your credit card at home and only take the cash you have available to spend. Once it’s all spent, then you’re done!

Don’t Wait Until the Last Minute

Christmas shopping is a perfect example of something that many of us leave until the last minute. Selecting gifts for your loved ones should be a thoughtful and enjoyable task, not hard work and stressful because you have run out of time. Not only is that tiring, but it is also an easy way to blow the budget!

Taking your time and being organised can really help you stay in the Christmas spirit and keep the stress at bay.

Avoid Too Many Commitments

There’s nothing worse than having created your Christmas schedule to find out that you are too tired or hungover to keep on top of it.

By keeping a record of your social commitments on your calendar, you will be able to keep track easily, which will allow you to manage your time and budget better.

Stay Healthy

Being sick at Christmas time really can spoil the festivities so it is important to take precautions to keep yourself as healthy as possible. Burning the candle at both ends by staying up late and getting up early, and not getting enough sleep or exercise, could be a recipe for disaster!

Stress can also reduce your immune system and make you more prone to catching bugs, so keep your stress levels down, your spirits up and don’t forget to exercise.

If, in your busy festive schedule, you find you can’t make time to get to the gym, then you should consider installing your very own garden office gym. A SMART Garden Room makes an amazing home gym, situated just a few short steps from your back door, available to you at any time, day or night, which is invaluable at any time of the year, not just at Christmas time.

Make Time for Yourself

As hectic as Christmas time can be, it’s important to make time for yourself, to enjoy the things that you love to do in order to keep your stress levels down.

If like many of us, your house if bursting at the seams and there is nowhere to escape the noise and bedlam, and you are looking for a place of sanctuary then installing one of our SMART Garden Offices could be the answer. Useable 365 days a year, a garden room will provide you with all the additional space you need, whether that be somewhere for the children to play, somewhere to eat the Christmas dinner, to watch a movie, read your new book or to just simply sit back and enjoy the peace and quiet for half an hour.

And Finally, Remember what the Christmas Season is All About

Christmas time is meant to be filled with joy and laughter, a time to spend quality time with all your family and friends, so don’t get so caught up in the hustle and bustle that you forget to enjoy it. By starting early, you’ll be able to have a merry, and much less stressful festive season.

Unfortunately, it is now too late to install your very own SMART Garden Room  in time for this Christmas, but it’s not too late to make your 2019 dream – whether it’s a garden office gym, therapy room, art studio or man cave – a reality in 2020 by calling the SMART team today. You can order your free catalogue by following this link, or book a free, no-obligation site survey.