My favourite time of the year is on the horizon! Autumn and the general run up to Christmas is just such a wonderful time to me. Being with family, general cosiness and beautiful nature – I love it! But I also understand that this can be a very stressful time for a lot of people. The financial and social pressure might get a bit much. Here are some tips to stay relaxed and keep your stress as low as possible:
- Go on a cruise
- Do your Christmas shopping as early as possible
- Have quality time with friends
- Go on a spa day
Go on a cruise
To me a cruise is the most relaxing type of holiday. As soon as you board you can just enjoy and chill out. The beauty of a cruise is that most of the itinerary is mostly worked out for you so you can leave all the stress behind! Enjoy a glass of bubbles and relax aboard a nice cruise ship.
Around this time of year I would really recommend a river cruise on the Danube. If you’re travelling from the UK you can often do a Danube river cruise in a couple of days, which means you won’t have to take a lot of time out! Jules Verne offer a Christmassy cruise stopping off at Vienna, Budapest and Bratislava – perfect opportunity to relax I’d say!
Do your Christmas shopping as early as possible
This is something I always tell myself I’ll do next year! Doing your Christmas shopping early is better for so many reasons: you are more likely to get a good deal, less financial pressure towards the end of December and in general less stress about not having time. In November and December the high streets are intensely busy as well so if you want a relaxing experience it is worth starting in September/October!
I try to make a list throughout the year of what to get for people. They will unknowingly drop hints of things they like at random times – use this! Keep a note on your phone and buy it as soon as you can. Often I will buy the things I know someone loves at a time when the shop has some sort of discount on. Hide it in your home for a couple months and by the time December comes around you will be surprised by how Christmas-ready you are!
Have quality time with friends
Time with friends is always a good idea. Catching up, relaxing and sharing your feelings definitely always makes me feel relaxed and more at ease. It also reminds you that friends are going through the same stress and you can share ideas on how to relieve this.
Go for a coffee with friends, do your Christmas shopping together or simply have a quick call! Just talking to someone you love will make you feel good. If you can, arrange a full day for some proper quality time: go to a Christmas market, have a nice dinner and see something at your local theatre.
Go on a spa day
Let’s be honest: what’s more relaxing than a spa day? Getting a massage, facial or just hanging around the pool and sauna.. oh, yes. Treat yourself! Whether you go on your own and enjoy some time to yourself or take a friend or loved one, this will be your ultimate time to relax.
Around this time of year lots of spa’s will have offers on, ranging from a day to a weekend. For example Dolphin Square Spa often have discounts, including last minute deals.
These tips should help you feel relaxed in the upcoming season. Do you have any more advice you could give my readers? Let me know in the comments!
