Your 2021 Festive Survival Guide with Utranazz

After the tumultuous year of uncertainty we’ve had, we’re all hoping that Christmas 2021 brings some much-anticipated festive cheer to the holiday season. However, with all the fun comes some serious organisation and planning, which can make Christmas a stressful event.

If you don’t know where to start, we’ve got you covered! Here are the Utranazz top tips to help you survive all aspects of the festive season, from self-care and sleep schedules to making the most of your Christmas activity line-up. 

Preparation is key

The pressure to deliver the perfect Christmas can be overwhelming. With the sudden onslaught of responsibilities and commitments, sometimes the festive season can feel not-so-festive. Something as simple as a list can make all the difference when tackling the mammoth tasks of presents, food, and celebrations – we recommend starting early!

On a job site, thinking ahead and making sure you have the right concrete equipment will be the difference between a job well done and a concrete disaster. Similarly, thinking ahead and making a to-do list will help prevent any catastrophes on the big day.

Delegate to the masses

If you’re usually the one welcoming family to your home for Christmas dinner, don’t be afraid to delegate tasks to your guests. To ease some of the stresses of cooking, why not assign each guest a dish to prepare and bring – then, you can lavish all your attention on the turkey star of the show, without worrying about peeling potatoes or making stuffing. Or perhaps you’re a bona fide chef, in which case ensure each guest pulls their weight by allocating washing-up duties.

Managing conflict

The festive season can become a hotspot for conflict and arguing, especially when alcohol is involved! And while there’s certainly no alcohol allowed on job sites, applying the same universal principles of setting boundaries and planning ahead will ensure that Christmas goes as smoothly as freshly laid concrete.

For relatives you struggle to see eye-to-eye with, or a controversial topic that gets tensions rising, implementing some boundaries can be really helpful. For example, if you have a large amount of guests, a seating plan can avoid personality clashes; if a certain subject can cause upset, let your guests know discreetly beforehand that the topic is not to be discussed.

Making sure that your boundaries are respected will not only facilitate a more relaxed Christmas, but will also benefit your wellbeing!

Children and festive excitement

Flexibility is paramount when organising the festive period with children. While it can be tempting to let their normal routines go, this can actually result in overtiredness with too-late bedtimes, and the excitement of Christmas then becomes overwhelming. Similarly, being too rigid with schedules can remove the special magic of Christmas for children. A healthy balance is ideal – slightly later bedtimes are a festive treat, and coupled with ample time to wind down before bed, children can enjoy the novelty.

During the day, keeping everyone occupied with fun games after your meal is a perfect way to enable children to blow off some steam while spending quality time all together. If you’re all gamed out, then a classic family Christmas film is a fool-proof way to feel festive, and can be a lovely way to unwind before bedtime.

Don’t forget self-care

With all the hustle and bustle of the Christmas season it can be easy to forget about self-care, but remember that the season of giving means giving yourself a break too. Taking the time for moments of relaxation little and often will help you be prepared to tackle anything thrown your way – whether it’s curling up with a good book for a chapter, or a crisp wintery walk with a loved one, these little moments will bring some respite from the hectic nature of Christmas. Plus, a chance to stretch your legs and breathe in some fresh air will undoubtedly help shake off the post-turkey lethargy!

If you’ve been busy treating others to gifts this year, don’t forget to treat yourself too! Why not splurge on that Sermac 5Z36 Truck Mounted Concrete Pump you’ve had your eye on for months? Or, if your batching plant’s been looking a little worn out recently, grab an upgrade to our top-of-the-range Hydromix / SBM Euromix 1600 Container-Mobile Batching Plant – we know what we’d do!

For others, Christmas isn’t always the most wonderful time of the year for a variety of reasons. Whatever you’re struggling with, the mental health charity Mind have put together some helpful advice for coping throughout Christmas.  

Finally, it’s important to bear in mind that Christmas Day is only one day a year – if that new Christmas pudding recipe doesn’t turn out quite right or you run out of cranberry sauce, it will not ruin it for anyone! The most important thing is to spend quality time with loved ones, and in this time of COVID uncertainty, we at Utranazz will definitely be hugging our loved ones a little tighter this year. We wish all our customers and their families a safe, happy and healthy Christmas!

To talk to a member of our team, contact us today by calling +44 (0) 1280 820 770, emailing [email protected], or sending a query via our online enquiry form.