Christmas Stress by Jane Thurnell-Read

It’s supposed to be a great time of happiness, love and good cheer, but often it isn’t like that at all … it’s just stress, stress, stress. So, I’ve put together some practical suggestions to help you deal with the stress and enjoy yourself.

There’s a simple self- help tip I’ve taught lots of people to help ease stress of any kind. It involves holding the bumps on your forehead known as frontal eminences. It takes only a few minutes but can have a dramatic effect on you. You can read about exactly how to do it here. You may be sceptical when you read how simple it is, but give it a go and see if it helps you.

Stress increases your need for the B vitamins. A good B vitamin supplement can help reduce stress and anxiety and help you sleep better and have more energy. In general people seem to do best on one with 50 mg of each of the main B vitamins – click here to get more information on the one I recommend.

Many people run out of energy and feel tired and overwhelmed with all they have to do, so here’s a 30 second pick-me-up. No matter how busy you are, you have time for this. It’s simple:

1. Stand or sit with both feet on the floor/ground.
2. Stay still and feel the strength of the earth supporting you.
3. Visualise the power and energy in the earth supporting and nurturing you.

You can do this just about anywhere – at your desk, in a lift, standing in a store queue, at a party, or while cleaning your teeth …

If you have kids, they can be a major problem at this time. Getting over-excited by all the build up, they can just add to your own feeling of overwhelm. So help your kids and help yourself by using Indigo essences. These gentle essences are specially formulated to help children be happier and more relaxed.  They are essences made from crystals by Ann Callaghan and her nephews Ben and Mica, and offer a unique system of help from a children's view of the world. Check out the Indigo essences here.

It’s easy to get overwhelmed by the material element of Christmas, but you can send electronic Christmas cards that benefit charities or buy great gifts that go to people in need. You can agree with family and friends to limit the amount everyone spends on gifts. If you want to buy gifts (or just about anything else) and live in the UK, you can still contribute to charity through Easy Fundraising. It allows you to give to charity just by buying online from well known stores - there's lots of them. Currently charities get 0.75% to 15% of what you purchase and there are special vouchers you can use to get free delivery or discounts, so it's a win-win situation for you and the charities, and you can choose which charity your money goes to: check it out here to find out more.

Part of the secret of having a good Christmas is not expecting too much of yourself, your loved ones or your friends. The magic of Christmas doesn’t make people perfect, but with a little thought and preparation you can still have a magical time.