Sylvia Thompsonprovides a guide to taking the stress out of Christmas
Think hard before you embark on any last-minute shopping as the risk of buying unsuitable (and expensive) presents increases with time pressure. Buy gift vouchers for those people stubbornly remaining on your Christmas present list.
Or consider giving the gift of time by offering to bring an older person somewhere he/she would like to go in January. Or, if you've got siblings or friends with children, consider a babysitting voucher (be specific about how much time you're prepared to give though!).
Even many children would welcome the gift of time - especially if it's from a favourite auntie or uncle who they don't get to see very often.
Get some physical exercise. In the mad rush up to Christmas, many people neglect their physical health and let go of all exercise routines. As fitness classes come to their term end this week, consider how you can make some time over the holiday period to swim, walk, cycle or even do 50 jumps on the children's trampoline - taking care always to wear appropriate clothes and leave at least an hour between eating and exercising.
And, remember, gentle exercises are as effective as more strenuous ones.
When you find yourself getting completely stressed out about preparations for the Christmas dinner, last-minute present wrapping or organising Christmas outfits for the whole family, take five to 15 minutes off and go sit or lie somewhere quiet, warm and comfortable. Then, slowly begin to focus on your breathing, taking several long, slow deep breaths, letting go of all concerns for the future and worries about the past. Try not to fall asleep and you will return to what you were doing refreshed and ready to move on.
Carefully plan family outings or trips to friends' houses over the Christmas period. While this may sound obvious, trying to fit in too many visits in one day defeats the purpose and sometimes leaves everyone feeling unsatisfied with the time spent together.
Also, plan trips to pantomimes and Christmas shows with care, remembering traffic congestion is all too common at this time of the year and factoring that in can prevent you from missing the start of the performance.
If you are a parent, consider ways you can gently manage your children's level of excitement in the days before Christmas. Ensure they eat well and get as much sleep as possible before Christmas Eve.
Give them some time out of doors (weather permitting) and turn the television off from time to time so they can prepare for Santa's arrival in their own personal ways.
Clichéd as it may be, remembering those less fortunate than yourself is one of the keys to enjoying Christmas. You don't have to join a soup run for the homeless or send chickens to African countries to participate in the season of goodwill.
You can visit a recently bereaved neighbour or friend. You can spend a few extra minutes chatting to someone whose life is a bit tough at the moment. Or, you can phone or e-mail someone who you've been meaning to make contact with but just haven't had the time.
Those in charge of cooking the Christmas dinner will - at this stage - have read or ignored the many other articles in this newspaper and others about how best to cook or not to cook the turkey.
So, suffice it is to say that those who succeed are either good cooks to begin with or successful home managers whose skills in delegation come to the fore at Christmas time. If, none of the above applies to you - avoid cooking the Christmas dinner at all costs.
Consider attending a Christmas carol service or mass on Christmas Day. Christmas time is probably the most accessible point in the entire Christian calendar and believers and non-believers alike can find some form of spiritual sustenance in a religious community celebrating the birth of Jesus.
And now to the most challenging stress-buster of all: try to let go of old hostilities and rivalries over the Christmas period.
While this doesn't mean you forget wrongdoing (malicious or otherwise), it does mean that you show mercy and compassion. You may then surprise yourself with what new insights you gain from this experience.
Finally, when all the preparations are (or are not) done but it's the 25th of December and there's no Irish Times HealthSupplementto turn to for advice, just relax and enjoy the day.