They don’t call it the silly season for nothing. We’re are getting excited about the Christmas break, planning holidays, thinking constantly about how much we have to spend and making plans for all the events to which we have RSVP’d. When we combine all of this on top of our already hectic work schedules and social lives, we sometimes start to let it really affect our mental health.

So it’s time to apply the old metaphor ‘take a chill pill’.

So how can we combat all this stress? Well firstly, start by remembering that anything that is causing you a lot of stress and anxiety is not something you want to be too heavily involved in, so you need to find a way to help yourself ‘de-stress’. My own personal form of stress relief is a constant exercise routine (at an unholy time of the morning that we won’t discuss). But getting yourself into a good routine will help put those valuable endorphins into your system and help you start your day the right way. Now I know not everyone is into the whole exercise scene but there are plenty of other ways to get yourself some stress relief. Go to the beach a few times a week, schedule in a weekly brunch with your mates and vent away, take up a hobby to give yourself something to really look forward to. Any of these things and more, will give you a chance to relax, unwind and not be so caught up in the whole craziness, that is Christmas.

Now you may think to yourself ‘when am I going to be able to fit any of this into my silly season schedule’? Well, the answer to that is really quite simple… ‘Make the time!’ We have a duty of care to look after ourselves and little walks in the evening, a game of tennis, a swim or whatever it is that gives you a bit of stress relief, is essential to working your way through this crazy time of year.

So what do you do to help relieve stress?