WELLBEING: Your Christmas health & wellbeing guide

With just a few weeks until the Christmas break, no doubt the to-do list is growing: gifts to buy, meals to plan, parties to attend and family to host. It's easy to get overwhelmed and exhausted at this time of year. But we promise it's possible to navigate Christmas and New Year without falling victim to stress, illness or accidents around the home. Here is our health and wellbeing guide to help with the organisation and family reunions that don't always go to plan! Relax, don the Christmas jumpers and follow these simple steps to an enjoyable Christmas.

Plan ahead

For many people, the peace of mind which comes with pre-planning is a sure-fire stress buster. Take a little time now to write lists, plan timings and make sure everything is organised (on paper, at least). From there, it's not such a big leap to getting it done. Don't leave things to the last minute: if that's not a recipe for stress, we don't know what is!

Clear your desk

If you typically spend the Christmas break worrying about work projects, make sure you've cleared your desk of important tasks before you leave the office on Christmas Eve. Set up an out of office reply and voicemail and bear in mind that most of your clients and suppliers will be on their Christmas break too. Then enjoy at least a day or two of no emails, no internet access and no mobile devices. Bliss!

Delegate

At work or at home, don't forget to delegate. You can't expect to do everything, and others shouldn't expect it of you either. Know your strengths and recognise where others can help. Learn to say "no" to some things, and discover how easy it is to ask for help. People love lending a hand. You can't do it all... and that's fine!

Take time out

Don't burn out by Christmas morning. Make sure you take time to rest, recover and enjoy the festive atmosphere. Whether that's taking a lie-in, enjoying a night in rather than partying, or stopping during the day to just sit quietly, time spent resting will mean you are better able to enjoy the main event.

Focus on you

We spend so much time thinking of others at this time of year, we often forget to look after ourselves. So set aside some time to treat yourself: an early night, a hot bath or just some quiet time alone. It's a good idea to get outside when you can, as daylight hours are so short. How about a morning or afternoon walk to energise and lift the spirits?

Avoid accidents in the home

Finally, avoid accidents in the home. Don't let common sense go out of the window because you have guests to feed and extra chores to do. Nothing is worth risking an accident for. Slow down, don't do two things at once and don't cut corners when it comes to kitchen safety, heights or home electronics.