How to Deal With Family During the Holidays

The holiday season can also trigger feelings of stress—especially when it comes to complicated family dynamics. Here are a few ways you can navigate some of those potentially frustrating moments.

Let's take five minutes to see this week in a new light. By Wendy Rose Gould & Amy Morin, LCSW, Editor-in-Chief Top of Mind Dealing with Family Conflict During the Holidays     The holiday season is a joyful one, ripe with opportunities to bond with family and friends, an ample dose of merriment, and happy gift-giving. Still, the holiday season can also trigger feelings of stress—especially when it comes to complicated family dynamics. Here are a few ways you can navigate some of those potentially frustrating moments.   Even the most close-knit families can overdose on togetherness, making it hard for family members to maintain a healthy balance between bonding and alone time."  — ELIZABETH SCOTT, PHD   Create a Game Plan for Your Holiday Visits Trying to see everyone within a short span can make you feel overwhelmed and frustrated. This is particularly true if your families are spread out across the country/world, or if there are existing fissures that prevent you from all being together in one space (like divorce).   Instead, alternate days, weeks, months, or even years with each group. Maybe that means you spend the holidays with one family this year, and then with the other family the next. Or maybe that means doing Thanksgiving with one family and Christmas with the other, then alternating the following year.   In cases where everyone's simply spread out, consider hosting in your neck of the woods. This gets everyone together in one space and means you're not stuck jet-setting during an already stressful time of year.   Know When to Say Yes and No Merriment overload is a real thing, so try to create some balance with friends and family this season. Say yes to the events that have you feeling excited and avoid committing to the things that don't "spark joy," (as Marie Kondo would say).   Be thoughtful about your holiday schedule so you can better enjoy every minute of it. Don't forget to pencil in some much-needed alone time, too. Accept That Some Conflict is Unavoidable Nobody knows your family's complicated dynamics better than you. Try your best to bring a bit of acceptance—and perhaps even levity—to the situation.   For example, if you're prepared for your mother-in-law to assume her critical ways, or for your brother to make those rude jokes, you can more astutely navigate the situation. It's good to continue working on these issues throughout the year, but don't expect them to be gone by (or for) the holidays.   On the Bright Side Ways to Stay Positive This Week Ways to Nurture Your Mind and Body  This week, set aside 15 minutes to assess your next few weeks. Block out days that you want to keep for you (or for friends or family members) and consider them sacred. Fill those days with things that will bring you joy and peace, whether that's an at-home reading day or an evening spent with a cup of cocoa and Christmas light sight-seeing. By preparing in advance, you'll be able to say "no" more easily when other commitments inevitably arise. Is your holiday season a particularly busy one? Try keeping an organizer to help minimize frazzled feelings. "The No-Stress Holiday Organizer" features calendars, checklists, budget sheets, and journal pages. Sometimes a classic Christmas movie and mug of cocoa is the perfect way to reset. World Market's 12 Cocoas of Christmas Hot Cocoa Mix Assortment features yummy flavors like Irish Cream and Caramel, Gingerbread, and French Vanilla. If you're looking for last-minute gifts you can feel good about giving, check out these top-rated health and fitness picks.     This Week on The Verywell Mind Podcast   On tomorrow's episode of The Verywell Mind Podcast, I reveal the 10 most popular podcast episodes of 2021. Tune in to hear the best mental strength lessons we can take with us into the new year.   Follow Now: Apple Podcasts / Spotify / Google Podcasts / RSS Read These Next How to Handle Unresolved Conflict at Family Gatherings READ NOW 4 Tips for Navigating Difficult Conversations READ NOW Improve Your Relationships With Effective Communication Skills READ NOW Spread the Light Share the newsletter with someone you know to make their day a little brighter. SHARE We're open to suggestions! If you have any feedback about this newsletter, let us know at feedback@verywell.com.     You are receiving this newsletter because you subscribed to the Healthy Mind newsletter. If you wish to unsubscribe, please click here. If someone forwarded you this email, you can subscribe here!   A DOTDASH BRAND 28 Liberty Street, 7th Floor, New York, NY, 10005   © 2021 Verywellmind.com - All rights reserved. Privacy Policy