Christmas is a magical time of the year and this year more so than many others people are so ready to see the end of the year and look forward to a mo more positive 2021. It’s a great time when families are able to get together and be in each other’s company creating memories for the future. A time for enjoying food, decorating the home, sharing gifts, maybe going to church or just simply catching up with each other.
For some this can actually be a really stressful time of the year that can bring about high levels of anxiety and frustration. Sharing the time with loved ones can be stressful and especially when you may possibly have loved one’s who don’t exactly see eye to eye with each other.Feelings of anxiety can also come about by feeling as if you will not meet the expectations of those that you are entertaining in your home too. Will the food be good enough? Will everyone appreciate what I have made for Christmas Dinner? can create high levels of anxiety too. Even the purchasing of gifts and trying to figure out what to purchase and will your gifts be appreciated can be a cause for stress too.
It is important to realize that there are definitely a few things that you can do to relieve the
holiday stress in your life…
Split the holidays with different relatives
Sometimes if you are faced with spending time with conflicting relatives….why not spend xmas with one set and the new year with another? This can definitely reduce the levels of stress and may actually allow you to enjoy time with loved ones individually as opposed to being together in a tense situation.
Make it a Pot Luck Xmas!
If the idea of cooking for a large group and catering to everyone’s taste stresses you out… why not get together and have each family member bring a little something? This way you all get to enjoy each others cooking and not have just one person doing all of it..
Take time out for yourself
If you have family flying or driving in from out of town for the holidays, it can be stressful entertaining them 24/7. Remember to take time out for yourself too for your own mental wellbeing. Go for a walk, go to the gym or maybe go to a coffee shop for some time out for yourself.
Learn to say No
Quite often relatives that are with you during the holidays may have different ways of handling kids or cooking and may expect you to do things their way. Learn to say no politely and keep your healthy boundaries with all members of the family.
Keep conversation light during the festivities
When interacting with people, keep conversation light and polite as much as you can. Avoiding hot topics such as politics would be better.
Play board games!
Playing board games is a great way to connect during the holidays with kids and adults alike. It can quite often relieve some of the tension and allow you all to have fun and share a laugh.
Whatever you decide to do for the upcoming holidays…remember to be grateful, try to laugh, keep conversations positive and take lots of pics for you to share in later years.
Have a happy peaceful and stress free holiday from all of us at The Conversation Spot
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