If you’re like many people, you get a lot of stress around the holidays.
If so, you are not alone!
Whether you have big celebrations with lots of people, or you limit your gatherings to a few, or you visit other…
You may have a shorter fuse than normal when dealing with people – even the ones you love – who just rub you the wrong way!
So what are you doing?
How do you not only “get through” the holidays but also enjoy them?
Here are 3 ways we use to not only get along on vacation, but actually find pleasure…
1. Remember that we all live in separate realities and don’t look at life the same way
So when Uncle Charles starts ranting about all the things that are wrong with the government (or whatever), know that you’re not going to change his mind by arguing about it.
This is the way he sees life and you don’t have to deal with it.
You can say something like – “That’s an interesting way to look at it…” and if you really want to connect with him, you can ask him questions.
If you choose not to connect with him, kindly start a conversation with someone else.
You don’t have to get upset when a person has a different opinion and you don’t have to agree.
2. Live in the present moment
The present moment is all we have, so stay there as long as possible.
A good friend of Susie’s used to be so preoccupied with what to do when hosting holiday gatherings that she missed communicating with her loved ones.
When she realized there was another way—to stay in the present moment and connect with people instead of letting her thoughts take over—she began to really enjoy the holidays.
Staying in the present moment means connecting with people by caring about them.
It means taking your attention away from your thoughts and what you MUST do to focus on the other person.
So simple but we forget in the “requirements” of the holidays!
3. Turn to gratitude instead of criticism
It just seems to be second nature for many of us to criticize others either verbally or silently in our minds.
If you want to get along with others on vacation and really enjoy yourself, nothing works better than having an attitude of gratitude.
When your mind wanders to thinking that the way your sister makes mashed potatoes is completely wrong…
Breathe and pause before something nasty comes out of your mouth or you roll your eyes.
Instead, turn your mind to something you are grateful for.
It could be your children, your partner, the food you and others have prepared, the sun, or something you appreciate about your sister.
You don’t have to harbor judgmental thoughts that will damage your relationships with others – and blame it on holiday stress.
You can choose what to focus on.
Even though it seems like your stress and pressure are created by circumstances and what you see outside of you, it’s really an inside job.
We can allow our self-inflicted stress to fester if we don’t feed it.
Several years ago, the two of us did an experiment before a holiday gathering.
Previous gatherings with these people were a bit controversial and we didn’t want that this year.
So instead of rehashing old arguments as we drove to the event, we imagined everyone getting along and us having fun.
And it worked!
We had the best time that year with no arguments to spoil the fun.
Are we great creators? It can
But it was more likely that WE were in better spirits and thus interacting with people.
If you are anywhere in the world, we send you lots of love as you gather for the holidays.
