COVER STORY

*** Unannounced vegan guests? Interfering in-laws and party bores? Anna Tyzack consults the experts to find the best solutions to your last-minute Christmas SOS calls Q I’ve run out of time – is OK to give vouchers and cash for Christmas?

Why do we do it to ourselves? The endless to-do lists, mountains of presents; unavoidable social occasions – and unrealistically high expectations for Christmas Day itself. The average person will spend an entire working week preparing for Christmas – only for the big day itself to go wrong. A survey by Hello Fresh found that six out of 10 hosts have messed up the main meal.

Life coach Nicky Clinch (nickyclinch.com) urges calm and reflection as we move in to the most hectic week of the year. “See Christmas for what it really is; a time to come together as a family, away from our busy daily lives,” she says.

Dr Pixie Mckenna, a GP and televi- sion presenter, meanwhile, recommends we focus on eating well, doing a little exercise and trying not to drink too heavily – if we don’t look after ourselves, we will succumb to a Christmas lurgy.

Easier said than done, though, when there’s so much pressure to have fun. To make your festive season easier, we’ve asked a panel of experts to solve you Christmas SOS conundrums – from turkey dilemmas to festive wardrobe malfunctions and yuletide etiquette.

If there is one thing we can do, however, to rock this party season, it is to get to bed on time, explains sleep expert Mckenna.

“It’s the lack of sleep that brings us down at Christmas,” she says. “Tiredness makes us more anxious, argumentative and less able to enjoy being with loved ones.” And much more likely to spoil the sprouts.

AYes! But you could also make this more personal by making your own vouchers and wrapping them up in boxes and ribbon so that there is still the unwrapping element.