The holiday season is the time of year that sparks togetherness through festivities with coworkers, friends, and family. Most of the time, you can choose how much time you spend socializing with coworkers and friends, but when it comes to family, you may feel an obligation to attend holiday family events – regardless of your relationships with various family members.
All families are dynamic, made up of unique individuals whose personalities can sometimes contrast; however, just because you don’t get along with certain family members, that doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy your holidays.
Try practicing these healthy tips to protect your mental health:
- Radical Acceptance: Acknowledge that you can’t change or control unhealthy behaviours of family members, so don’t assume the responsibility of correcting. For instance, if a relative becomes intoxicated and confrontational, all you can do is remove yourself from the situation; it’s not your job to manage them.
- Independence: If you have your own mode of transportation, try to commute to and from holiday events independently. If you accept a ride from a relative, then you might feel obligated to adhere to their schedule – even if the gathering becomes tense or hostile.
- Self-Care: You have the right to do whatever you need to practice self-care in order to remain in a physically and psychologically safe environment. If at any time you feel unsafe leading up to, during, or after a holiday party, excuse yourself and focus on yourself. Deep breathing, sensory grounding, and other mindfulness techniques can help you relieve stress and anxiety when you feel overwhelmed.
- Stay Sober: Alcohol can sometimes feel like an unwelcome holiday party guest when you have been working on your sobriety all year long. Even though there might be an abundance of alcohol, peer pressure from relatives, and an ill-advised tendency to lean on alcohol as a social lubricant, try to remember when socializing with family members that alcohol can lead to heightened emotions, inappropriate behaviour, and an inability to rationalize, which can exacerbate already tense dynamics.
- Gratitude: The hustle and bustle of the holidays can leave you feeling emotionally, physically, and even financially exhausted. That’s why it’s important to take a moment here and there to practice gratitude for what you have – including the friends and family members you love most. Focusing on gratitude can help alleviate stress and anxiety by shifting your mind towards something more positive.
The holidays can be a challenging time for people due to a multitude of reasons, so if you feel stressed, anxious, depressed, or notice you are relying on substance use to alter your mood this season, please reach out to a qualified Canadian counsellor who can help you: https://homewoodhealth.com/home/services/therapyathome/