How to survive the holidays
Bluedevilhub.com Staff–
Screams echo throughout your house, seeming to last an eternity. Your house is overrun by the enemy, your extended family. Due to all the madness, you want to rename the holidays – the holler-days. But do not turn to any extremes, because I have tips.
The holiday season is supposed to be filled with joy, peace and relaxation, but not everything can go picture perfectly.
Often times, the house can be so chaotic that it makes bustling New York City look like a ghost town.
Having your extended family, or even your immediate family around for the holidays can be stressful.
UC Davis Professor Kristen Lagattuta of the Department of Psychology and Center for the Mind and Brain pointed out, “ Schedules are disrupted, the house is more crowded, children often have to give up their bedrooms for visitors, and they have to spend a lot of time with people they may not know very well.”
Sophomores Cliff Adamchak and Jonathan Lovely mentioned that annoying cousins/siblings and being judged by distant family members may be other root causes for stress during the holiday season.
“Only my sister is really annoying,” Adamchak said.
Lovely occasionally has extended family over during the holidays.
“I have to be on my best behavior [during these family gatherings], and it’s stressful because I get judged,” Lovely said.
Both Adamchak and Lovely deal with the stress by simply taking themselves out of the stressful situation.
Here are some tips to make it out of the holidays alive.
Tips for surviving the holidays
1. If someone is annoying you, DO NOT further aggravate this person. As this will only prolong the annoyance.
2. Try to remove yourself from the situation, in a polite and respectful fashion. By just saying, “Excuse me but I have some work to do.”
3. It might sound cliché but take yourself to your happy place. By going to your “happy place”, you will prevent any unnecessary conflicts.
4. If a conflict starts to break out, simply bring out the dessert. This is an elegant way to change both the discussion and mood in the room.
5. Try to find some time for yourself. The holidays can be chaotic and different but it is still necessary to do what you enjoy.
6. Keep open lines of communication with your parents, so they know how you are feeling, if enough is enough and such.
7. If family members are in a heated discussion, in most cases the saying “Can you pass the butter?” should reduce the stigma of any argument.
8. Redirect your frustration by beating your family in a game of some sorts. It helps redirect your focus to something else.
You might find the holidays disastrous and unpleasant, but maybe if you follow some of these tips, and the holler-days just may seem like the ol’ holidays again.
