Once upon a time, when in my 20s I dreaded Christmas Eve. It seems so silly to say it – but it true. Here is why l don’t let the stress of Christmas eve get to me anymore.

This was back when I worked in retail and let me tell you that working around the Christmas period was never fun. You see a whole different side to people that is never pleasant.

Which as you can understand from my perspective it was never great to have someone angry at you when you are trying to do everything in your power to help them.

So Christmas while in retail wasn’t fun, and for many years I dreaded Christmas. Not entirely but it did kind of ruined the festivities for me. It was only once I left the Christmas cheers came back, and I could enjoy myself.

During that period, I could see the real greed in people and how everything has to be perfect and magical. There would be a fight if someone got the last bit of ham or people would stock up on 30 copies of the same items.

Urgh! When people around you are stressed and angry – it makes you feel that way as well. I would come home from work and just collapse.

So my message to you this Christmas. Don’t let the stress of Christmas Eve get you. Not everything has to be perfect and magical. If everything does go tits up, drink some wine and laugh about it. Enjoy Christmas by drinking too much and overeating.

Have fun and enjoy Christmas day whatever the outcome might be. Christmas Eve should be fun – not stressful. If you do end up running around like a headless chicken today, do try to be calm and think on how it might be like for other people.

Moral of the story, if I could speak to my younger self I would say that getting worked up over people mood isn’t going to help you in any way, so the best thing to do is to breathe and have fun. Also, laugh if everything goes wrong, have a drink and enjoy the day.