How to Stress Less this Holiday Season
by Susanne Thiebe – professional Organiser
Susanne Thiebe has been operating her professional organising business LessMess since 2006, offering expert advise in decluttering and organising your home as well as running sustainable living workshops. Susanne is also a founding member of The Institute of Professional Organisers (IOPO) everyone in our team follows their organising code of conduct. Follow this article by Susanne to find out the best tips for a stress free Christmas!
For more information about LessMess go to www.lessmess.com.au or if you are looking for an Organising Professional in your area go to www.iopo.com.au/find.
Organised = Less Stress
Do you have the feeling that Christmas comes earlier every year? And I mean not before the 25th, but earlier in the shops? I think so too, but take it as a sign to get started on an organised, stress free Christmas this year.
The trick is in the planning part – but pretty much everybody knows that. My background is German, and we celebrate Christmas Eve rather than Christmas day. So we have to be ready 12 hours earlier. Why not aim for that so you can have a relaxing night on the 24th and a good night’s sleep.
I love it because we are done and dusted when the neighbours are still busy putting the roast in the oven.
Some Top Tips
1. Don’t aim too high with presents. Take a good look at what you think are your Christmas obligations. Approach people about it. They might be happy to arrange a less expensive way to show your appreciation towards each other. Most people have enough stuff and are happy with small gestures.
2. Don’t have a set amount to spend on each person. Yes, have a budget and a maximum amount, but a lot of people, especially when it comes to kids try to spend a certain amount. Kids don’t mind- little kids don’t even realise. One of the most loved Christmas presents I bought for my little one was a plastic toy wheelbarrow. It was reduced to $8, he loved it, played with it for years and that was his present from his parents for Christmas.
3. Another one is – useful things. Especially when it comes to filling stockings and just make it look good under the Christmas tree. My kids get schoolbags, new lunchboxes, socks, pyjamas, boogie boards… the only thing they didn’t like was school hats.
And because I am Professional Organiser – lists are the way we work. So here it is……...
The LessMess Christmas Countdown Checklist
Howards would like to thanks Susanne for sharing her tips to create a stress free Christmas.
Have a great holiday and a stress free Christmas from all of us here at Howards!
Article published November 2017. Updated February 2021.