Tips To Avoid Family Drama During Holiday Season

UncategorizedJanuary 1, 2020

You are done with printing your board passes, sticking an out-of-office message to your emails, packing up all the outfits that you would need on your holiday. In short, you have almost prepared everything you need on Thanksgiving. But one aspect of preparation that you can never ignore is your family. A majority of people complain that their holiday stress primarily stems from neither a hectic schedule nor their expenses. The main cause of their headache is the family drama that they have to endure. There are various issues within your family that you might have to counter. Whatever be the case, there exist some key steps that can help you cut down the stress of dealing with them. Find out below.

Foresee The Triggers

Since you go through the same pattern year after year, it wouldn’t be hard for you to anticipate what factors trigger stress within you. Going through difficult conversations, having to counter inconsiderate relatives or physical uneasiness is probably a part and parcel of every holiday season. But ponder over it and try to be a bit specific. After identifying a particular trigger, plan out and then rehearse the way you should respond. In case an offensive comment is thrown at you, just smile and change the subject smartly. Rehearse your answer well before any uncomfortable topic comes up.

Start Afresh

Most of the time, family drama during the holiday season is at its potent stage since there can be baggage of conflicts, sore feelings, and grudges from yesteryear, which have stuck on to you till now. You have still held on to those years when your mom used to criticize you for being overweight. Probably, the situation has changed now, but the way you see your family hasn’t allowed you to change your perception. It might not be possible for you to keep everything in the backburner and take a holiday gathering in good taste. However, try to the best of ability to take every conversation into your stride and be an impartial observer without associating past history with the present situation. Is it really tough? Then imagine yourself as an actor portraying a role. Take this as a challenge.

Build An Oasis Beforehand

Planning your responses to different triggers beforehand is like pre-loading your arsenal. If you make plans accordingly, you will be giving yourself a breather at the time of your trip. Some effective ways to get relief from the anxiety is taking a walk alone for some time, call up a close friend to have a chat and have a great time, or go through a novel for at least an hour, knit needles, or do something that you enjoy from your heart to release the tension. All you need to do is free up your mind.

Be Grateful

The more you can express your gratitude, the better you will feel. Not only will it affect your emotional health in a positive way, your physical health too would go under a transformation. Your family might test your patience, but they probably make you laugh as well. Your loved one might be undergoing some health issues, but you can be grateful to them for standing beside you in times of need. Maybe your family has done things to irritate you and give you a tough time. Bu, be grateful for having the ability to lead your life just the way you want. Whatever the situation might be, try to concentrate on the present and spend an amazing holiday.

Don’t Let In All-Or-None Thoughts

Holiday expectations for you might be huge and hence, you might be compelled to consider things in black and white only. Your expectations might be impractical and some sour experiences might force your day to turn for the worse. Your over-reliance on a particular schedule will hamper your plans in the times to come. Things might not be perfect every time and that’s pretty normal. It’s human for your family to annoy you. You can’t expect them to behave impeccably every time. The meal, travel, vacation, and your holiday schedule may discourage at every step as you fear things might be hectic. However, it’s mandatory for you to not view things in either black or white terms.

These were some key tips to avoid family drama during your holiday season. Try to hold on to your patience and take things within your stride. It’s not always easy to not get annoyed or alleviate the stress. Take small steps forward.