Stay Calm this Festive Season

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Godrej Aer’s new #ChangetheAir campaign has some interesting thought-provoking images on their Facebook page. The current focus on festivals is a reminder that the festive season is already here. Dusshera is already over. Diwali is just a few days away. Are you feeling stressed yet?
Festivals and major celebrations are joyful events. Yet for many of us, especially for those juggling jobs with the home, doing everything to perfection can be worrying. From planning menus, cleaning the house, entertaining guests and partying – having fun is hard work! Add to this the pleasant mess of having kids at home for school holidays and you’re ready to tear your hair out!
Here are some ways to stay calm this season:

• Plan in advance. If you have a set schedule every year, you know what to expect. If Diwali means having family and friends over to celebrate, work on the menu in advance. There are recipe sites galore that can help you with menus, ingredient lists and ideas for innovative dishes to wow your guests.
• Do a Slow Clean: Create a cleaning schedule so you can do a little every day without having to drive everybody up the wall in a cleaning frenzy two hours before guests arrive. Get the kids to help – there are chores for every age, make them feel useful too. Tackle the public areas first. Ensure that your upholstery is clean, the cobwebs are banished and any clutter is disposed of. Try not to hide things in another room to tackle later – do it right away and you will be grateful for it later. A clean house is a fragrant house. Try traditional fragrances like incense sticks or modern air fresheners with innovative smells like Aer’s Fresh Lush Green that promises to bring the crispness of nature into your home. While you are at it, don’t forget your car too – give it a good clean and use a freshener to banish any odours.
• Take care of yourself. Remember to eat well. All those sweets and savouries won’t help you keep your energy levels high (note to self, here). Have regular meals, keep fruit handy for snacking (winter has the best variety of fruits in the year), go for a walk or two when you can. Go outdoors and take your kids too – a walk around the local park is a great stress buster. Eat *before* you go to a party so you don’t feel compelled to taste every dish on display there. How do you stay calm this season?