Goodbye Christmas stress!
The Christmas season is simply special. Fairy lights, hot cocoa, warm socks – we associate all of this with Advent. In theory. In practice it often means: stress, stress and more stress. But why does our stress level always rise on time with the first gingerbread? We'll get to the bottom of this mystery in this story and also give you lots of tips from our professional Kerstin so that the run-up to Christmas this year (and all subsequent years) is simply relaxing.
Where does this Christmas stress actually come from?
Everywhere we are shown a picture of a perfect Christmas : the family sitting together peacefully and stress-free at Christmas dinner, eating ten courses and then relaxing around the Christmas tree to exchange a sea of presents. Well, are you starting to feel the pressure on you? It happens so quickly that we allow ourselves to be influenced by advertising videos or the supposedly perfect neighbors and, perhaps even unconsciously, put a lot of pressure on ourselves. A certain tendency towards perfectionism also plays a role here. Because when everything has to be perfect, you naturally have a lot of expectations. And let's be honest: when has Christmas ever been perfect? How often does the red cabbage burn or there is a tense atmosphere because Aunt Erna asks everyone again when they will finally get married and have children? What follows is frustration and anger - after all, you had high expectations and really went above and beyond for everyone.
A lot of pressure and Christmas stress often comes from trying to maintain all the old traditions in the family . As a child, you always had a certain dessert that required intensive and long preparation, or did you always decorate the Christmas tree all together on December 24th? Traditions can be beautiful and evoke familiar feelings - but it's so important that they don't become a pure source of stress .
Does Christmas stress come again every year? Not with us!
Christmas stress can be wonderfully avoided - we have some tips and tricks for you on how, for example, you can easily put together your Christmas menu in a stress-free way. We'll also show you what activities you can do as a family during the Christmas season and how you can easily treat yourself to a little time for yourself. So you can look forward to the Christmas season in a relaxed manner.
Tips for Christmas without stress from professional Kerstin
To give you helpful tips to get you through the run-up to Christmas and beyond, we turned to a real professional. Because Kerstin knows very well what it means to be stressed. The 30-year-old is not only a passionate triathlete and ASICS front runner, but also works in influencer marketing and social media. In her past, she has dealt intensively with methods for dealing with stress. Stress is simply part of our everyday lives and even more so during the Christmas season: “For me, a stress factor in the period before Christmas is usually at a professional level, as the annual financial statements are coming up for customers and all concepts and strategies for the coming year have to be created. Unfortunately, the day only has 24 hours. But even crowded shopping centers or pedestrian zones can sometimes stress me out.” Sound familiar? Then Kerstin's tips against stress are just right for you!
Tip 1: Stay sporty, even when things get comfortable
Sport helps to clear your head and relieve or at least reduce stress. I usually exercise once a day. Sometimes swimming, sometimes cycling, running and strength training. Of course, there are days when I don't do anything and then I enjoy it. But especially when things are stressful, a run like this can be really good during your lunch break or after work. Especially around Christmas Eve, sport is also a good way to take a break from the affair and create time for yourself.
Don't feel like Christmas stress? Just go running like Kerstin.
@ run.further.eat.better
Tip 2: Get out into the fresh air and then into the living room
Try to go out once a day. This can also be “just” a walk that helps you wind down or doesn’t build up stress in the first place. Here, too, you don't have to go for 1-2 hours. A long walk around the block is good for the soul and helps you approach Christmas stress-free.
When you come home, your apartment should be your oasis. For me, my own four walls are essential and are closely linked to my happiness. I love my apartment more than anything and feel absolutely comfortable and secure when I'm at home.
Tip 3: Minimize leisure stress and simply switch off
Constantly being stressed out in your free time is not a permanent condition. I just keep some weekends free. That doesn't mean that I'm sitting at home alone, it just means that I don't plan every minute from the start. Spontaneous activities can be really nice. There are also at least two free evenings during the week. Conscious breaks are so important. For me it could be a weekend at home, a visit to friends, a wellness weekend or even a weekend around a competition. The important thing is to just get out, see something different and have a little break. This is how you can get through the Advent season in a relaxed manner.
Tip 4: Start your day right
I start my day with a yoga session during the week and with a latte in bed on the weekend. This helps me start the day calmly and balanced and not immediately feel stressed. When you're stressed before and at Christmas, a routine like this is worth its weight in gold. Yoga also benefits my fascia and my mobility. These don't have to be long sessions, for me they're usually between 5-20 minutes.
Tip 5: A bit of kitsch is a must – things to do during the Christmas season.
As already mentioned, traditions can be a very beautiful thing that connects generations and brings families together. That's why it's understandable if you want to continue certain traditions. And that includes a bit of kitsch at Christmas time . Because during Advent we all become children again to a certain extent. Baking with the family, singing Christmas carols together and watching old films wrapped in a blanket – such activities can also slow down a lot in the run-up to Christmas. Other activities also feel less tacky at Christmas when everything is decorated with fairy lights and “Last Christmas” is playing from a loudspeaker somewhere – ice skating , tobogganing or how about a classic snowball fight ? Afterwards you can warm up wonderfully with some hot cocoa.
Tip 6: Don't worry, eat cookies
To be honest, I don't particularly like baking myself, but for many people baking cookies is just part of Christmas. I can imagine that baking can slow down and relax families - especially in the often too stressful pre-Christmas period. You can often let your creativity run wild when baking cookies . This quickly gets your head away from all obligations and to-do lists.
As an athlete, I also really like the idea of baking with protein . In this way, you can easily conjure up more balanced cookies and other treats - and your guilty conscience won't show up so quickly.
However, if you're not a big fan of kneading dough and cutting out shapes, then don't stress yourself out here either. A package of purchased gingerbread or cinnamon stars also brings a Christmas feel-good factor.
And in case a sheet of vanilla crescents burns or you need a carbohydrate kick to get all your errands done, it's best to always have the dextrose products from Dextro Energy* on hand. These go directly into your bloodstream and ensure that your body is sufficiently supplied with carbohydrates.
Tip 7: Prepare and then relax this Christmas
Proper preparation is the key to a relaxed Christmas. The nice thing: Especially when it comes to Advent and Christmas, you can plan a lot in advance. We all always want to start getting presents early and often find ourselves at the mall in the last few days before Christmas randomly buying the leftovers from the shooting festival. So that this doesn't happen to you, you could try something new this year: I always make an Advent calendar for my parents, including a Christmas present. This means that I have to get the presents long before the Christmas rush. I also try to be early for other gifts. For example, you can make a gift list that you keep throughout the year. This way you can immediately write down when a friend mentions something that he or she would like to have but is definitely not buying for himself. This way you can collect inspiration all year round. By the way, the list will also help you on other occasions.
Tip 8: Just have a stress-free Christmas menu
The family dinner at Christmas is my job because I'm a passionate cook and it's been that way for years and I love it. Cooking is something that relaxes me and doesn't stress me out at all at Christmas. I usually think about what I end up cooking a week or two in advance. Preparation is also the key here - especially if you're someone who doesn't like cooking. Part of having a stress-free Christmas meal is not just going shopping the day before. To be honest, I don't know what I'm cooking this year yet, so I should think about it soon.
*contains carbohydrates
A varied, balanced diet and a healthy lifestyle are important.
SOURCES
Header image: @iStock.com/svetikd
Kerstin # run.further.eat.better
