Tips for stress relief for the holidays – dealing with the family

It seems ironic that holidays can be a cause of stress when they are designed to recuperate, relax and, in theory, reduce stress in the individual. Of course there are new pressures that come to bear on a person. Being aware of the types of stress that holidays bring and tips for stress relief is the first step to enjoying the holidays and feeling relaxed and rejuvenated.

Most holidays consist of a celebration of sorts. This often includes the joining together of families and friends for a meal and the giving of gifts.

Herein lies the potentials for stress and can be summed up as the three F's : family, finances, and food.

Dealing with the family is often stressful. Firstly, if you have a large extended family it is tough or impossible to catch up with them all. This leads to prioritising which family members are more important than others. This can renew old rivalries, disputes or bitterness.

How do you choose between the in-laws or your own family for the celebratory meal for example ?The secret is to alternate each year or set some time aside for the family members that will miss out before the big day. I know this takes organisation and time but it is the only way to be fair. Let the family members know this is how you do things so that there is no feeling of guilt on your part and feeling of even handedness on their side.

If you can arrange to all meet up then dealing with all the conflicting interests of toddlers, teenagers, grandparents etc. can also be demanding and stressful.

You can take one of two approaches to this problem. First up, take the laid back approach and don't stress about it. You could just let things happen naturally and you will find that the kids might spend some time with the rest of the family and then migrate to the family room and leave the adults to themselves.

For the older guests, it is important that they are comfortable. Some may have hearing problems so it is important to place them in a position where they will always be close to the action and will not drift away and get bored.

The second approach is to organise a group event that involves the whole family. Kids are always interested in their families history so showing old photos of their grandparents and uncles and aunts is a great way to involve the oldies and the kids.

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