Holidays And Frustrating Family: 3 Ways To Deal With Them

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What's the perfect recipe for a holiday?

One full tree. A lot of lights. The perfect tree topper. Various ornaments in different shapes and sizes. Mugs of hot chocolate with marshmallows and a candy cane. Building gingerbread houses. An assortment of hats and gloves. Snowball fights. The heavenly smell of cookies baking in the oven. Cuddling up next to a fire.

Whatever your perfect recipe is for the holiday season, it's probably safe to say that it didn't include opinions, politics, yelling, screaming, and tears. The holidays are a lot on their own. When you throw frustrating family members into the mix, the recipe might not come out how you originally imagined.

Here are 3 ways to deal with frustrating families during the holidays.

1. Set Boundaries

Boundaries are necessary for any type of relationship. Yes, that includes healthy ones. Boundaries are actually essential to make sure a relationship is and stays healthy. It may be harsh to set guidelines for a relationship, but boundaries are what help protect you, your wants, and your needs.

Let your family members know of any boundaries that you have set. If you want to refrain from talking about certain topics like politics, then let them know you don't feel comfortable discussing those matters. If they choose to go against your wishes, you can remove yourself from the situation.

2. Take Breaks

dinner table set with nice plate settings

If you already know a family member is going to get on your nerves, try to limit your interactions with them. Instead of staying in your family home, you could get your own Airbnb or a hotel nearby so that you can get away and have some alone time.

If you feel like you have to stay at your family home, that's okay too. You can still take breaks during the day and your time spent there. Take a breather in the kitchen. Excuse yourself to your room for a few minutes or even hours, if necessary. You can also go for a walk outside which can help reduce stress and anxiety and make you feel calmer.

3. Try Relaxation Techniques

There are many different relaxation techniques that you can try. Try a few of them out and see what works best for you. The sooner you practice, the easier they'll be able to implement the next time you're feeling stressed or anxious. Here are a few different techniques you can try:

  • Body scanning

  • Deep breathing

  • Meditation

  • Repeat a positive mantra

  • Visualisation technique

  • Yoga

Next Steps

If you find yourself anxious or stressed due to the upcoming holidays, you're not alone. There are a lot of family members that may have different opinions, political views, beliefs, and more. It can take a lot out of you to try to stay patient, happy, and respectful, especially if they're not willing to do the same for you.

It may feel like you're alone or the odd one out, but there is help available to you if you want and need it. Try to lean on a loved one during this time. If you know you share similar beliefs and opinions with another member of your family, you can try to help calm one another down before going into the holiday and during it.

If you don't feel comfortable sharing your thoughts or feelings with a member of your family, that's okay too. Try reaching out to an outside party for support. A licensed and trained therapist will be able to work with you to help you better understand any of your triggers as well as give you ideas for coping methods moving forward.

Reach out to me today if you're interested in setting up a consultation for anxiety treatment or depression treatment.