It doesn't matter how well-prepared we are for Christmas, if we don't know the one little word that can create more time, then we're likely to end up stressed and exhausted.
This magic little word has the power to set us free from things that aren't really our job, to save us having to run extra errands and to avoid overwhelm and running around like a crazy thing.
But there's a catch.
It's the one word that most of us find hardest to say, especially when everyone is busy.
Yes, this one is a toughie for many of us. There's no point in softening the blow or wrapping it up in gift paper with a pretty bow.
Here's the one little word you need to say, to dramatically increase your time and cut your Christmas stress:
No.
Yes, I said "Say no!"
I'm not talking about getting angry when you say it or waiting till you're ready to snap. I'm talking about saying 'no' early enough that you don't ever make it to 'blow your fuse' territory.
You might want to:
Say no to extra hours at work.Say no to extra gift shopping.Say no to extra parties.Say no to ironing (my personal favourite 'no'!)Say no to extra bakingSay no to anything that doesn't feel like it "belongs to you" - anything that isn't really your job, even if it is something you would usually say 'yes' to. And we each know what our personal 'yes' habits are!
A friend of mine used to say:
"If you want something to get done, give it to a busy person."
And there's an element of truth in that, unless the busy person is about to crack, in which case things can get very messy.
So if you're in the middle of everything and someone comes to you with yet another request, take a moment to stop and think about whether you really want to take it on.
There's no law saying you have to do extra Christmas preparation, especially if it means you're risking your peace of mind
And if you don't want to take on the extra job, play with politely, but firmly, saying no! The other person might be shocked. They might even react grumpily, if they can't see things from your perspective. But:
If you truly want to cut your stress levels this Christmas, then saying 'no' more often is the way to go.
Want to find out more about Christmas stress and what you can do about it?
Then you might want to have a flick through "101 Ways To De-Stress Your Christmas". No matter which type of Christmas stress you've got, there's something in it for everyone.
It's based on practical psychology, stress management techniques, sleigh-fulls of common sense and a good dose of Christmas humour. Find out more at http://www.destressyourchristmas.com/
From Clare Josa: Author, NLP trainer, Meditation Teacher, Expert Mentor ~ Beyond Alchemy
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