Tips for surviving Christmas

Christmas in here!

Christmas can be a joyous time of; catching up with family, watching children’s wonder & excitement, eating special food, drinking maybe a bit more than is usual for you, and being generally merry……………..but it can also be stressful at times.

Tips 

Here are a few ideas that might help you enjoy the season and emerge feeling happy, healthy and recharged!

• Be aware that this can be a stressful time of year.
• Be as planful as you can be in terms of your time, activity and money commitments
• Know your limits and plan ahead to deal with any challenging situations
• Be realistic, don’t expect everything to be perfect all the time
• Embrace moderation.. don’t drink or eat to excess and keep hydrated
• Don’t totally abandon the activities that you know help through the year …. Like, for example exercise , mindfulness or sleep routines.
• Balance connecting time and time out in a way that you know works for you. If you are expecting too little connection .. reach out  and organise some company . If you are concerned about too much connection, build in some quiet time.

Support

For all of this, Christmas can still be a challenge at times. If you or someone in your family are feeling low over the Christmas period, don’t hesitate to reach out to get some support via:

• ANU’s Employee Assistance program … Assure  will be at the end of the phone over all of this period on 1800 808 374  or
• call Lifeline on 13 11 14  or
• Beyond Blue on 1300 22 4636
• Access Mental Health (formerly CATT) on 6205 1065 or 1800 629 354