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'Tis the season to be jolly, but all I feel is stress'

Brexit has hit my business hard and money for the children’s gifts is scarce
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   Problem: I find myself really stressed coming into Christmas this year.
   2016 was a difficult year for my business – we are hit hard by Brexit
   and it has meant we have little spare money this year (and 2017 could
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   this year.

   Answer: Reading your question you sound very stressed. This is
   completely understandable given all you are going through.

   Once stress gets a hold, it can take over and everything can feel more
   difficult. It can interrupt your sleep and make you more irritable and
   make it harder to cope all round.
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   You can see things more negatively and make it harder to be creative in
   response to problems. Dealing with her father’s illness, it sounds like
   your wife is stressed also. With the two of you stressed and dealing
   with challenges this can pile on extra pressure for both of you.

Stress at Christmas

   Though Christmas is presented as a great time of family connection and
   celebration, it is also a time of great stress.

   People can feel losses and sadness more acutely at Christmas and the
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   you sadder when you simply don’t feel that way.

Overcoming stress

   The first step in overcoming stress is to acknowledge and accept how
   you are feeling. Be self-compassionate and cut yourself some slack.
   Take a step back and to acknowledge all you have been through in the
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Try to support one another

   Stress takes its toll on relationships. While partners can initially be
   supportive when someone is stressed, this can diminish and wear thin if
   the person is irritable and distracted over time.

   The tragedy is that when people are stressed they often take it out on
   their nearest and dearest. They end up fighting with the people closest
   to them and stop supporting one another, which further increases their
   stress.

   Make a conscious effort to break this pattern. The key is separate
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   have a choice in how you respond.

   Try to ally with your wife against the stressful situations you are
   both dealing with. Don’t let the stress drive you apart but instead let
   it teach you to become closer.

   Set aside a special conversation with your wife when you can discuss
   this. It might be a good idea to send her a note in advance describing
   how you feel. You could acknowledge all the stresses you are both
   under, and apologise for how you have behaved in response. Express your
   positive feelings for her and your wish that you can work together to
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   this will make an enormous difference.

Make a plan to tackle the stresses

   Make a plan by yourself or with your wife to tackle the stresses that
   you are dealing with. This can include making a plan to address your
   work stresses (eg, could you get help from specialist services such as
   a business mentor or Enterprise Ireland about coming up with a business
   plan to address the economic changes?)
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   can support your wife caring for her father or as to how you look after
   the children together. You could also decide in the plan how to manage
   your stress levels by taking steps to eat healthily, get exercise and
   to prioritise times of relaxation and switching off.

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   media creates the illusion of everybody else having the most wonderful
   life
   'Tis the season to be jolly, but all I feel is stress'

   'Tis the season to be jolly, but all I feel is stress' Brexit has hit
   my business hard and money for the children’s gifts is scarce this
   Christmas