• • Skip to main content
  • Accessibility |
  • Contact
• • Login
  • | Register
  • Donate

• Home
• About us
• Our services
• Your community
• Resources
• Get involved
• Donate

Home | Resources | Life and Style | Christmas survival guide

Christmas is nearly upon us, and all the food, drink, parties, presents, shopping, stress, money worries, family niggles, cold and flu that come along with it.

Whether Christmas is your favourite time of the year, or you find yourself wanting to crawl into bed, only to emerge on 2 January 2012, don’t worry; Action is here to help. Think of this as your very own survival guide to get you through the holidays, no matter how you feel about them.

Shopping

Love it or hate it, Christmas shopping is unavoidable for most of us. Crowded shops, buses, trains and pavements can make a visit into your local shopping centre unbearable. Have a look at some tips below to see if any could help you:

Buy online

• Yes, it can be a bit of a pain if you need to send items back, but generally, buying online is reasonably fuss free. Try the RNIB online shop and the Action gift guide for ideas for presents.  Or try one stop shop websites, such as Amazon, where it might be possible to get everything you need at once.
• Having said that, we recognise that shopping online can sometimes be frustrating for blind and partially sighted people. You have the perfect gift in mind but then, you can't read the site easily, you can't find the item amid all of the links on the page, you aren't sure whether the item is really in your shopping cart, or you can't check out independently. It's not fun when you can't keep a gift a secret because you can't buy it without help. Complaining on Twitter or Facebook won't help much in the longrun. So, how can you raise your concerns constructively, spread good cheer while helping to make the web more accessible, and start getting positive results? Try visiting these two pages for some tips and sample email messages. See the W3C blog and the W3C document for more information.

Avoid the crowds

• Try shopping at different times to the crowd, either late at night, just before closing, or perhaps first thing on a Sunday morning.

Lists

• Write a list. Make a detailed list of everything you need to buy, including where to buy it from. Cut down on wasted time by planning your route around the shops you need to visit too.

Shop locally

• Are there any local shops you could buy presents from instead of going into town? Visit smaller local gift shops and boutiques, avoid the crowds and support local business while you are at it.

Things to do

• Has Santa got your list? Visit him at a National Trust venue throughout December and make sure he knows what you’d like for Christmas! Find out which National Trust venues Santa will be visiting
• If the weather is bad, stay in the warm and enjoy a film or theatre performance. An increasing number of theatres and cinemas offer audio described performances and screenings, find out about events near you.
• Warm up those vocal chords and go to a local carol concert - guaranteed to get you in the festive spirit. Search www.google.com or contact your local council to find out about carol concerts in your area. And if you need any music in alternative formats, RNIB have produced a great guide to finding it. 
• Or join a free Christmas carol concert by telephone; Community Network will be relaying two Christmas carol concerts directly into people’s homes by telephone as part of an event funded by BT. The concerts are taking place at two London churches on 7 and 20 December and anyone who wants to take part will be sent a programme beforehand so that they can follow the service as if they were actually there. The programmes for 20 December will be available in braille. If you, or anyone you know, want to take part please phone 0845 619 9992 for further details
• Age UK operate Friendship Centres located across the UK. They organise activities and outings and are a great place to meet new people. Visit www.ageuk.org to find out where your nearest centre is.

Physical wellbeing

It can be easy to overdo it at Christmas. Too much rich food, more alcohol than normal and less exercise can spell misery in the new year when your jeans no longer fit. Try these tips to minimise the damage, your waistline will thank you for it in January:

• If drinking alcohol, alternate each drink with water or a soft drink. Less calories, and less chance of a horrific hangover in the morning
• Some mince pies can contain up to 500 calories (yes, really) so try to avoid these in the run up to Christmas, then treat yourself to one on Christmas day without doing too much damage
• Christmas parties usually mean lots of buffet food, little of which is healthy or low fat. Try to choose veggies with dip, snacks such as twiglets and any salad options rather than stodgy sausage rolls, crisps and cakes.
• A 20 minute walk in the fresh air everyday will clear your head, exercise your muscles and give you a break from rubbish Christmas telly, wrapping presents or family mayhem, even on Christmas Day.
• Having said all of the above, we’re only human, so do enjoy Christmas lunch with all the trimmings, mince pies and chocolates on the day itself – just try to get back on the straight and narrow as soon as possible afterwards.
• If you are a guide dog owner, Guide Dogs have come up with some tips on caring for your dog over the Christmas period.

Emotional support

Many people find Christmas a difficult time of year. We can often feel pressured into joining in with festivities, even if we don’t really feel like it and it can be difficult to cope during the Christmas and new year period. The Samaritans are available 24/7 and can provide confidential emotional support to those who are in distress.  Mind, a mental health charity, has lots of resources available for anyone who is feeling depressed or finding it difficult to cope with stress. Visit their website www.mind.org.uk to find out more. For concerns around sight loss, including finding out about emotional support services, you can contact your local Action team, or contact the RNIB Helpline on 0303 123 9999.

Tips for handling stress

The NHS have some great tips and exercises to help alleviate stress and tension. If you do feel your blood pressure beginning to rise in the festive run up, try fitting a couple of these exercises into your morning or bedtime routine and reap the benefits of a new and calmer mindset.

Do something different

If you do find yourself at a bit of a loose end this festive period and fancy doing something different, you could consider volunteering. Many worthy causes are desperate for extra help at this time of the year. Contact your local council for details of local volunteer opportunities in your area, or visit www.do-it.org.uk to search. Or, of course, you can volunteer for Action in the new year!

And finally

We hope you find this guide useful, please do leave a comment below and let us know what you think. And however you feel about Christmas, at least it’s only once a year!