Date published: 01.09.08 - not release date

THE S.U.M.O. GUY (Paul McGee) SAYS: "TAKE HIPPO TIME THIS CHRISTMAS!"

PRESS RELEASE

TAKE HIPPO TIME THIS CHRISTMAS!
The S.U.M.O. Guy Offers His Top Tips for
Staying Sane This Season (and beyond)!

October 2007 - While Christmas can be great fun, more often than not it also extremely stressful as we rush to buy presents, attend parties, the school nativity play, entertain family and friends - all while trying to achieve the ‘perfect Christmas’ and all-round festive celebrations (sound familiar??) Then read on!

According to The S.U.M.O. Guy, Paul McGee, the top relationships guru and author of S.U.M.O. Your Relationships – how to handle not strangle the people you live and work with (Capstone £12.99), the best way to cope is to schedule some ‘Hippo Time’ so we aren't only happier in ourselves, but also better placed to deal with the stress and pressures of the season.

Says Paul: “Hippos don’t just go into the mud or water to wallow – they go there to get out of the heat, to cool down and play. You have to build in some playtime outside of all the stresses at this time of year to give yourself a chance to unwind and find both balance and clarity."

“You’ll be better placed to deal with the festive season if you can get it into perspective, Christmas Day, for example, is only one day out of 365. Stop thinking everything has to be ‘perfect’ and try to plan how you can simplify Christmas as much as possible – and get friends and family to help you! For example, if you’re planning to host a Christmas party, ask your friends to all bring either a mystery sweet or savoury dish - they’ll be happy to help and it will be fun to see what everyone brings! Cease thinking you have to 'be all, provide all' - that can make for a very dull and frazzled hostess. Encourage others to step up to the proverbial plate.”

Paul’s Tips for Hippo Time

1. Be Careful Who You Talk To!
The phrase ‘a trouble shared is a trouble halved’ is an important principle, but not always helpful. Some people have the ability to make you actually feel worse and more troubled after you’ve spoken to them and will end up telling you all their worries – or they’ll tell you they’ve finished all their preparations and “don’t understand what all the fuss is about” – not helpful.

2. Be Careful How Many People You Talk To During Hippo Time!
Repeating all the stresses of your ‘terrible afternoon’ to everyone you speak to will not actually make you feel any better as you’ll just end up in replay mode. Sharing your day’s woes with more than one person can actually be one too many…be choosy who to include during your Hippo Time.

3. Do Something You Enjoy!
There are perhaps cheaper and healthier ways to spend your time wallowing, but if eating a little chocolate, or having a few drinks in a bar works for you – why not? Do whatever helps you to relax. Alternatively, it could be a walk in the park with the dog, or a long wallowing bath.

Hippo Time provides a useful ‘mini break’ from life and relieves us from our day-to-day pressures. Time out during Hippo Time also helps you S.U.M.O (Shut Up, Move On) with what you really need to do, and get life in perspective. Remember when things don’t go as planned, ask yourself. “Where is this on a scale of 1-10?” (where 10 equates to death), or “How important will this be in six months time?” – you’ll realise it’s not worth really worrying so much.

S.U.M.O. Your Relationships by Paul McGee
£12.99, Capstone ISBN 978-1-84112-743-9
Paul is also author of S.U.M.O. (Shut Up, Move On): The Straight-Talking Guide to Creating and Enjoying a Brilliant Life £7.99, Capstone

All UK publicity enquiries to Sue Blake Media on
+44 208 979 5220, 07966 538108, sue@sueblakemedia.co.uk