Holidays are often stressful on couples. Here are 3 ways to help you and your partner reduce your holiday stresses.
- Be aware of your energy level. Talk to your partner often about what is important to you as you go through the holidays. Tell your partner what activities you have low or high energy for and negotiate them if needed. You may want to skip, add, or change a holiday event or family ritual to make for a more enjoyable time with each other.
- Get emotional support. Communicate about what kind of support you need from each other to get through the holidays. You and your partner may need more self-care from each other. Examples of self- care are spending time together viewing city lights, participating in a religious celebration, or going out for dinner or a stroll in a park.
- Have a plan. Map out with your partner a holiday calendar of what you both want to do. Tell each other when things get to be overwhelming and what support or change you need to take care of yourself.
Couples can reduce holiday stress by letting each other know what support is needed and by negotiating the ‘must do’ list of activities. Having emotional support from your partner can help you better cope with holiday stress.
What have you and your partner found helpful in reducing the stress of your holiday season?
