As someone who suffers with chronic pain this is a real biggy..but for everyone I think the following will help.
Spontaneity is not something I can do anymore, everything has to be planned to the last degree. Although not everyone is like this it does help to break the holidays down into smaller portions.
1. Write a list of who you need presents for & if possible email them for ideas.
If you have a large family a "secret Santa" is a great idea. This is where everyone's name is put in a hat and then everyone pulls one out & that is the person you buy for. Everyone gets a present and it doesn't break the bank. (if you pull out your own name, put it back and draw another). It is best to do this after you have given out the gifts for the year so you have a whole year to keep an eye out for something that might suit the person you are buying for.
2. Shop as much online as you can. You can still buy local and support your local shops, most of them have websites, so you can see if they have what you want and how much and a lot of them will even deliver. If they don't then use the phone and give them a call.
Don't forget gift vouchers are a great idea & don't need wrapping.
If you have a credit card that is part of a rewards program, check out what rewards are available to you, you may be able to get lots of your gifts this way.
3. Wrap one or two presents a day, then it's not a huge chore.
4. Putting up your decorations for Christmas, don't leave it till the 1st Dec and then try to put them all up. Start a week or two before and put up one or two decorations a day.
5. Work out where the celebrations are going to be held. If it's not at your house offer to bring something, make it something that is easy and stress free for you. If it's at your place then ask everyone to bring something so it's not all on you.
6. Try not to do too much on one day, if you have lots of friends and family to visit then make it over a couple of days, some on Christmas Day and some on Boxing Day or even have one side the family for Christmas a week earlier, a lot of people prefer this as they don't have to race from one place to the next all in one day & this is especially good if you have family that live a distance away, you can meet half way and have a celebration.
7. Don't make it complicated. If it is getting stressful and becoming too hard work out ways you can simplify it.
Remember the holidays are about spending time together, relaxing and having fun.
And I would encourage you all to remember the reason for the season.
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