The festive season is definitely on it’s way – Halloween is well and truly over, Bonfire Night is a second away and it’s time to start thinking about Christmas shopping, socialising and parties! As exciting as all of these things are, they can be stressful, expensive and draining unless you make the effort to do Christmas your way. If Christmas makes you a little stressed, as it can me, these are my top tips for preventing burnout.

1. Prioritise and plan

Plan what you need to do and when you need to do it by and make time for yourself to do them! Simples. If you know you need a day for wrapping your presents, plan it in and make sure no-one gets in your way. Pop it in your calendar and ensure that you won’t have any distractions.

Then, prioritise who you want to see during the Christmas period and what you want to do together. Making plans ensures you’re not going out for cocktails three nights running one week and then having three chilled evenings in the week after, balance is the key to not getting burnt out and that all comes from good planning.

2. Stay in…

Double up what you need to do and socialising and you’re totally killing two birds with one stone too. Invite your best friends round for a present wrapping party with Prosecco and snacks and then reward yourselves with a gift exchange or a festive film afterwards. Having a pyjama party is a super cute way to see your friends over the festive period. You could even use this as your gift to your friends by buying them all a pair of cute PJs and putting on a spread!

These amazing sheepskin slippers from Celtic & Co were gifted and are the pebble Knitted Mules. These would make the perfect treat Christmas gift for anyone – they’re so comfortable and incredibly warm. I’ve actually never had a pair of proper sheepskin slippers before and I didn’t realise how warm they would be. They’re also made in Britain from natural fibres that are completely renewable, sustainable and a pleasure to wear and they’re super durable and lightweight. Celtic & Co are a great brand that are making waves in the slow fashion space. Read more about them here.

• Celtic & Co are making the shift from using man-made fibres and urge British retailers, and shoppers during the Christmas period to choose wool
• Wool is a natural product that comes from sheep and is renewable
• Wool breaks down once it’s disposed, further supporting the movement of slow fashion

3. Say no!

As much as it’s lovely when all the festive invitations start rolling in, it can be tough to keep on top of everything when you’re drinking sparkly cocktails and chatting all night long. By everything, I mean your workouts, actually relaxing and seeing your besties and loved ones.

Figure out how many nights out you’d be happy to do per week and once your calendar is full of plans – you’re full up! If you’ve put two nights aside per week, stick to them and just say no to any random drinks with ex-ex-ex work colleagues that you know will just want to moan about the office you don’t even work in anymore. You don’t need that.

Finally, when it comes to gifting – if you don’t want to spend the earth, let people know in around November what your plans are. Lots of people are boycotting excessive gifts for budget and environmental reasons and it’s always a good idea to let people know if you’re planning this. Have multiple Secret Santas instead of buying for everyone and you’ll all end up with a great gift and without a burning hole in your wallet.