I want to talk to you today about what you can do when holidays tend to be stressful on your relationship.
One of the things that often becomes a challenge in a relationship is all of the many, many demands for your time that come with the holiday season. All of the different parties that you get invited to, all of the expectations of traditions around spending time with extended families, and then of course on top of it our kids don’t have school for a good 3 weeks which just gives the holidays that added little extra edge of stress for working parents.
Staying on the same page
It’s no surprise that the holiday season actually tends to be a season that is ripe for conflict when it comes to couples. One of the most important things that you can do with your partner to get through the holiday season harmoniously is to do what you can to stay on the same page. Perhaps your mother in law wants you to come for a long visit, but your wife only wants to go for a short visit. Or maybe a man wants to go to the company Christmas party, but their partner isn’t convinced that they want to attend. There are lots of different demands for our time and lots of different expectations outside of your household.
Look for win-win strategies
However, if you can prioritize your partner’s needs and look for win-win strategies that you can create to make your partner happy, then you’re going to get through the holiday season a lot more harmoniously. Now, this may mean that you need to say no to some outside invitations and it may mean that you will need to disappoint some people outside of your household, and that’s okay. The more that you have one another’s back and stay on the same page about how you’re going to divide your time this holiday season, the more likely you are to get through it harmoniously. Good luck everyone!
If you and your partner need a little extra support during this holiday season, CLICK HERE to schedule your free initial consultation with us.