The holidays can be so fun! But after all of the parties and get-togethers you need a holiday survival guide to make it until the new year.

Because nothing shouts the holidays like having lots of family parties that you don’t want to go to.

Yes, family parties are (mostly) fun but after the fourth one, I am usually done with them.

I eat way too many sweets and it throws off my little guy’s schedule. So we are both grouchy and feel like crap.

Throughout the years my husband and I have come up with a few tips and trick to make it through the holidays without all of the stress that accompanies them.

How to survive the holidays with your family:

Gummy Bears

There are some parties that no matter what if we don’t want to go (ok mostly me) we still needed to go to. Insert my anxiety attacks!

I am socially awkward and I am totally aware of this. So it causes me to have an anxiety attack because I already know I am going to make a fool of myself in front of judgemental Aunt Susan.

After hearing all of the good feedback on CBD oil I decided to try the gummy bear version.

Because why wouldn’t you take something helpful in a fun way? (I mean who would miss their daily vitamin when it’s in a gummy? Same thing right?)

The first time I tried them I took to much (2. I only took 2!) and it knocked me out! Learned my lesson and I won’t take that many before a get together again.

These are so helpful! I would definitely give them a try if your family stresses you out during the holidays (or any day of the year).

Just make sure you try them before your event so you don’t pass out on the couch in the middle of a party and your Uncle Pete draws on your face.

See for yourself how great they are, check them out here!

It’s ok to not go to everything

So between all my husbands family and mine, we have about 6-7 parties to go to during the month of December.

This also includes the combined party for our birthdays that our family has for us (We both have birthdays in December).

It should come as no surprise that we don’t always go to all of them… (Shh, don’t tell my grandma)

At first, it used to make me feel so guilty. What would my mom say if she found out? (I know I’m not a teenager anymore but I still would have that thought.)

So I would have an anxiety attack about not wanting to go but feel stuck and have to go. Talk about a fun time!

So I put my mental health first and chose not to go. And not to feel guilty about it.

It was one of the best choices I have made for myself during the holidays.

Have a codeword

 

My husband and I realized that we would be ready to leave the party at about the same time but not know how to say it to each other. We were afraid that someone would hear us and ask us a million questions only for us to stay out of guilt.

We would end up staying at the party longer than we both wanted. We would get in the car and talk about how we both wanted to leave WAY earlier.

Then we would get upset with each other for not telling the other person.

So we came up with the perfect solution!

We have a codeword.

It’s something that’s festive with the holiday. So for a Christmas party, it would be something like snowflake or mistletoe or reindeer, just something that wouldn’t sound out of character for that type of party.

We also use it for any time of the year. Like the 4th of July, we’ve used fireworks or BBQ or something that’s on point for the holiday.

You can use this trick for any holiday or any party. 

You’re welcome.

 

 

Do things with just your little family

It’s so fine to leave a party early to go do something with your kids.

Use your new codeword (see what I did there?!) and leave the party early to go make gingerbread houses with your kids or drive around and see the lights.

Or if this is a party you can’t leave early then have something planned after the party that you can look forward too.

It doesn’t need to be something big, it can be watching your favorite movie with cocoa. Or read a book next to the fireplace.

Don’t feel like you have to invite the whole extended family over to do things with you.

Enjoy the company of your family. That’s what the holidays are about!

Don’t forget to take care of yourself

The holidays are the season of giving and sometimes I get so carried away in giving to other people that I forget to take care of myself.

I am still working on this one but I have a few things that I do to take care of myself during the holidays.

I love to bake, so I will make cookies for my little family. I don’t share with the neighbors or take any to family.

I know that if I do something with the intentions of sharing with other people my perfectionism kicks in and I start to stress all over again and it’s no longer a destresser.

So do something you love and that’s relaxing. It doesn’t have to be baking cookies.

It can be a bubble bath or watch your favorite Christmas show by yourself.

And don’t feel like you need to share because this is something you are doing for yourself, to take care of yourself. You can’t pour from an empty cup.

When all else fails: Remember it’s not forever

I know it’s the month can feel like it will drag on forever but it is only a month long. You have made it through 11 other months through the year. One more is going to be a piece of cake!

Because once it’s over you don’t have to deal with the holiday for another 11 months! So you can take those months to prepare, again.

 

 

If you have anything that helps you survive the holidays. Let me know in the comments what you do to de-stress during the holidays.

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