Many of us know the feeling: "to-do's" such as buying presents, baking biscuits, writing Christmas cards, etc. start piling up and we spend the festive season feeling stressed! We at LifeStyle Hotel ERIKA, Hotel Neustift in the Stubai valley, have compiled a few tips for you, which should help bring some Christmas bliss back into your life.

Here are our Christmassy LifeStyle tips:

• Organisation & Preparation - the right way
  Make a list of things you need to get done, that way you won't have all your "to-do's" whizzing around your head at all times and can concentrate on ticking off chores one by one.
• Buying Presents
  Ideally, you would start thinking about presents for your loved ones in autumn, giving you more than enough time to go on a relaxed shopping spree in your region. Bonus: you'll be supporting the local economy.
  In case you didn't plan ahead, an easy alternative is to order products online from the comfort of your desk. There really is nothing worse than running through stores packed with last-minute-shoppers just before Christmas, when customers are fighting over "who saw which product first" - aggression aside, it's a surefire way of stressing yourself out.
• Less is more! Don't take on too much!
  1. Social pressure
     Spare yourself one or the other Christmas ritual, like baking biscuits, in favour of a more relaxed atmosphere. Don't let society force you into a mindset that you need to bake 15 different kinds of cookies. After all, baking 1 or 2 kinds with the kids while listening to festive tunes is much more enjoyable. Those moments will make memories for life, for you as well as the little ones.
     The same goes for Christmas decorations around the house and in the garden, which are often hard to hang up in the first place. A simple lantern with a candle on your doorstep will fill you with just as much joy as an extravagant light installation.
  2. Avoid Extra Appointments
     It's advisable to keep things like dentist appointments and visits to the hairdresser for well before or after Christmas. Otherwise you would just be adding to your stress levels.
• Keep your expectations reasonable
  Why insist on a velvet dress when you wear jeans all year round ... why have a Michelin standard 5-course meal when you're a proponent of quick recipes? More often than not, stress is self inflicted. This Christmas, why not enjoy some extra time with your family and exercise in the fresh air? It could be a visit to the ice rink or a calm winter stroll. As a result, all of you will be relaxed and filled with joyful anticipation for the upcoming festivities.

We at LifeStyle Hotel Erika, Hotel Neustift in the Stubaital, wish you a Merry Christmas and a wonderful yuletide celebration with your loved ones.

Barbara & Matthias Müller of the LifeStyle Hotel Neustift in Stubai valley