A Survival Guide for Christmas Holiday Relationship Stress
It’s time for a reality check. That’s right, it’s Christmas! The time of the year where you can have some romantic experiences with your significant others, acting like you have no care in the world. And that is where the fairy tale ends. Suppose you have lived the stressful experience of spending Christmas in a relationship at least once. In that case, you know that it’s not easy. Now don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying it’s terrible, but then again, the stress can sometimes get over the top. Practically everything around you will be a reason for you to flip out, and it can get nerve-racking if not appropriately controlled. All I can say now is just try to keep your cool because we’re here to help! My best tip for you is that every single problem can be solved if you think it over. So, let’s start here by solving some of the most common issues that couples tend to stress about!
The Presents
- This is a reason to stress over even if the present is not for your significant other. Buying Christmas gifts for everyone is just such a long and tedious task. The only exciting part is the little test of strength you get to do afterward to check if you can carry all the bags and then write the Christmas wishes card. Then, you have to go through the thought and selection process of finding something that is both nice, and at a regular price, not too high, not too low, so that if they decide to change it, meaning they have to learn the price of it at the store through the gift card, they don’t consider you cheap, or that you are trying too much. It’s too much, I know. Yet, there are still ways that you can make this whole process of finding the perfect present for your partner much more simple.
- Just ask: This is the simplest of solutions and can really save you plenty of trouble if you ask correctly. Just ask your partner what you should get them for Christmas. If they are willing to just not do the whole “surprise” thing, then you lose the entire stress of trying to find a gift, and you just have to go and buy it!
- Be more observant: For the most part, everyone drops specific hints to imply what they want for Christmas. Maybe she said it would be nice to have a purse matching her dresses the other days. Or perhaps he said that none of his shoes match his clothes anymore, or even more subtle ones that they will drop during your daily activities. Maybe they are not even hints, but just them expressing things they would like. So be patient, and observe. Eventually, you will pick up on them, and be ready to buy the best present ever!
Family Reunions
- Another factor of never-ending stress(and boredom, for the most significant part). You know what type of family reunion I’m talking about. The one where you have to see every single one of your relatives, no matter how far away they live. Even that uncle you hadn’t seen for a decade always teased you about that one thing you did when you were a child that made everybody laugh. Things get much more complicated when you have to bring your partner into the mix. You constantly have to think about what everyone will say about you, or them, that could make things uncomfortable. Maybe it’s your mother asking if you plan to get married or your uncle who doesn’t know that you’ve only been together for a few months asking if you are planning on having children. Well, there isn’t much you can do about that because it ultimately decides on everyone else but you. But the things you can do, are somewhat effective.
- Drop the hints yourself: During the conversation, try to drop subtle hints trying to answer the questions they might potentially have. This will prevent them from asking it straight out, avoiding any awkward scenarios. Even if they pick up on something and decide to expand the conversation based on it, you have the upper hand because it’s your field you are playing at.
- Straight out inform them: You probably know which ones are asking a lot of questions. You can tell them everything beforehand, or just tell them not to ask any weird thing while in front of your partner. This way, everyone is happier!
Planning
- If you are like most people out there, you have absolutely no idea what you want to do during Christmas. It is stressful enough just to organize the holidays for one person, so putting the second one into the mix, and one that you care so much about as well, just makes things more complicated. I know that satisfying the needs can be hard enough, but that doesn’t mean that it’s not plausible. I might even go to greater lengths and say that it can be made easy by following a couple of tips and keeping the right attitude. Because especially when it comes to relationships, the way you see things is significant.
- Not everything is about you: Try to keep the spirit of Christmas around, and this time, just do all the things your partner likes so that you make them happy. This will, in turn, make everything less stressful, because by making your partner happy, you become happy as well!
- Discuss: Running around planning things for the two of you is rather arrogant from my point of view. On the other hand, trying to do everything yourself puts you at risk of simply having your partner, not like the plans in question. So, your best solution is to discuss what you want to do, and find a middle ground, so that you don’t have to stress over everything yourself.