LIFE

The holiday szn is meant to be a fun-loving time for you and for your fam (think: drinking hot cocoa, decorating gingerbread houses, laughing your heads off at family game night). But it's also a ~really~ underrated source of stress for a lot of gals. The pressures of getting the right gifts, being out of your routine and staying with relatives can put a serious damper on your holiday fun. 

During the holidays, emotions run high—and it's easy to let that ruin the festivities. These quick fixes will help you refocus so you can enjoy the holiday szn.

Keep some aspects your routine going

When the holidays come around, sleeping in and lounging around is one of the main things to look forward to. But all that unstructured time can make it hard to escape family drama. (An entire weekday where *everyone* is together in the house? Yikes.)

Adding in just one or two things from your daily routine can help keep your mind at ease. For example, if you normally enjoy self-care activities like exercising, reading or cooking, keep that task in your everyday ritual. That dedicated time for yourself can help clear your head.

Focus on the positives

Even in your fam's most dramatic moments, it's important to remember that nine times out of ten, they have your best interests at heart. 

Each time you dwell on an awkward conversation or fight, try to remember one fun memory from the holiday with it (like when you and your sis went ugly Christmas sweater shopping together last year). This will help keep you from spiraling and ruining the entire week over a few bad moments. 

Bring an activity for everyone

A great way to stay in the holiday spirit is to identify some of your favorite holiday activities and share them with the fam. Some classics are playing your fave card games, decorating ornaments, baking and decorating cookies or gingerbread houses or making hot cocoa. Giving everyone a fun thing to do is a great way to bond while distracting from any conflict. Bonus: You get to lean into the holiday spirit.

Redirect awkward conversations

We've all had an uncomfy moment when a family member asks a personal question that you don't want to answer, whether it's your take on a heated political opinion or an awk inquiry about your love life. In this situation, there's nothing wrong with politely asking to move on to another topic. ("Hey, did you guys see that amazing new episode of <insert TV show here>?")

Share your holiday spirit with us on Insta @girlslifemag!

Top and slider image: @georgiabridgers
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by By Madelyn Willoughby | 12/20/2023