With December now in full swing, it’s likely your social calendar is filled right up to the Christmas break. This is really fun but being busier than normal can take its toll on the body and mind. Here are our top tips to make sure you don’t need to spend your whole break recovering (though of course, there’s no better time for it if you do)
Christmas wrapping
If you’re single or in an open relationship, Christmas parties can bring romance and attraction to the fore. Even if you’re not really looking for something, it’s great to be prepared by carrying a condom. It doesn’t say anything about you other than that you care for your body, and the bodies of the people you have sex with so all in all, a pretty cool thing to do.
In the UK, Public Health England recently reported that a case of chlamydia or gonorrhoea is diagnosed in a young person aged 16-25 every 4 minutes – so using a condom is your best protection against giving or receiving any unwanted gifts
Avoid getting tippled by the topple
Many Christmas events involve alcohol and while you’re definitely going to want to share festive tipples with all of your favourites, regularly drinking more than you usually would is likely to affect your energy and mood (not to mention any hangovers), your sleep might get disrupted too.
If you’re organising an event you could plan an activity so people don’t feel compelled to drink. Could you pick out a couple of big events in your diary take it easier at the others? Drinking water between drinks is a tried and tested way to avoid over-dehydrating your body and giving you a rest between drinks. There are plenty of non-alcoholic choices out there now too – take a look at mindful drinking movement, Club Soda, for more booze-free drinks and inspiration
Peace on earth. Except for our house.
For some of us, Christmas might mean spending a lot of time with relatives we don’t see the rest of the year. Old tensions and differences of opinion can creep up and cause arguments or stress. Even families that get along well can get niggly spending so much time in each other’s company. There can also be pressure to have a ‘perfect Christmas’ – which will mean different things to everyone, so it’s not a very realistic goal.
You can’t choose your family, but you can choose the way you react to them – therapist Kate Moyle, who specialises in relationships and psychosexual therapy has these tips for anyone feeling anxious around what the long break might bring:
"The festive season although fun can cause a lot of stress and put tension on relationships. In family setups we know that there is often a bit of a power struggle, and families most often tend to clash when everyone thinks that their way is the best way and so we struggle to agree. Spending a lot of time around our family can also pull us straight back into that historical family dynamic which isn't always healthy or helpful for everyone involved. But that is family and that is life - the people that we are closest too are the ones that have the ability to upset, anger and irritate us the most but also they are the people that can make us happiest and those who we love the most, so just bear that in mind and take care of yourself and don't be afraid to take a little space for yourself if you need it."
Follow Kate on Twitter and Instagram
Whether you’re celebrating Christmas itself or just being a good wing-person to those that do, we hope these tips are helpful and you have a fun and restful time. Big kitten snuggles from all at Sexwise 🎅
