The Festive Season is once again upon us. Often a tense, trying, time full of conflict and upset, the holidays are the number one time when everything and everyone can get on your last nerve.
Perhaps you have a large family who get together for the holidays and continually bicker and argue about nothing; or perhaps you’re a couple trapped in an argumentative loop where you have the one argument over and over and which never gets resolved.
Keep your sense of humour and you can get through anything this Christmas.
On the other hand, if you have a well-behaved family, who rarely argue, and always treat each other with respect, I take my hat off to you.
Congratulations, your family are one of a rare kind. Keep up the great work, champ.
Chances are your family are much like everyone else’s around holiday time, and fall into a routine of bickering, rehashing painful memories from your childhood, or competitive talk about how your children and doing better at school than your cousins’ children. Whatever your situation, here are 5 tips for making it to New Year’s with your sanity intact.
1 Take a mini-vacay instead of spending the holidays with your family and avoid the whole mess. Somewhere that you can switch off your mind and bask in the glorious sunshine. With or without your partner, naturally.
Coming home with a tan will change the topic of conversation around the dinner table come New Year’s.
Part of the cause of so many upsets over the Holidays is due to stress and unresolved past issues. It seems the perfect time to air your grievances around a plate of turkey collared greens and candied yams, but its the worst time to do so.
Families in particular can find that the culmination erupts to breaking point around the time the meal is being served. Even if you’re a close-knit family, one ill-timed comment can disrupt the usually calm status quo. Be quick to apologise if you are the one who causes any upsets. Further, be quick to forgive if you receive an apology, and then move on.
2 Unplug the phone and stay home to binge-watch television instead of venturing out. Line up your viewing choices now to get a head start. As soon as you finish work the day before Christmas Eve, get into your P.J.’s and don’t come out of hiding until at least December 28. The conflict coast will be clear by then, and all thoughts of turkey, tantrums and mistletoe will be a long distant memory.
3 Grin and bear it. Show up at the house on time, with the obligatory gifts. Eat whatever’s put on the plate in front of you without complaining that its cold or greasy or there’s not enough of it.
Be polite, and remember to be extra courteous. When the entourage moves to the couch make an excuse and leave, pronto, to avoid any conflict.
4 Telephone your family very early on Christmas morning with a fake bout of flu, and explain that you’re going to take some Night Nurse and try to sleep it off. This will ensure you don’t end up with everyone dropping in on you will plates of cold leftovers ‘just to see how you’re feeling.’
Plus, stay off Social Media so you won’t be tempted to post updates that show you’re really at the Mall looking fierce in your half-off-must-buy-now-hundred-dollar- shoes.
5 Book a hotel for a last-minute weekend spa treatment. The mani-pedi you’ve been dreaming about, or the warm oil massage is now your new drama-free reality.
Above all, have a wonderful time whether you choose to spend it alone, or with your family.