Deirdre O’Kane: “I’m not getting involved in the Christmas frenzy”

The build up to Christmas can leave many of us feeling frazzled and fried.

What should really be a time of festive cheer and fun, often turns into a whirlwind of frantic shopping, decorating, cleaning and cooking.

But there are ways of avoiding the ‘shite before Christmas’, as we found out in today’s episode of The Irish Times Women’s Podcast.

One way to limit the hassle is to have someone else take on the cooking duties, which is exactly what comedian Deirdre O’Kane is doing this year.

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“I’m not getting involved in the Christmas frenzy, I’m absolutely over it,” she tells podcast host Róisín Ingle.

“I won’t allow myself to get to the stressed place anymore,” she adds.

In this episode, we also hear from psychologist Allison Keating who tells us about the ways we can keep festive stress to a minimum.

From avoiding those controversial topics at the table, to simply stepping outside into the fresh air for a breather, there are lots of little things you can do to keep your nerves in check this Christmas.

You can listen back to this episode in the player above or wherever you get your podcasts.