Five Tips For Coping With Relationship Stress During The Holidays

Romantic relationships are always going to experience periods of stress and discord. We all have conflicts, disagreements, and problems. However, relationship stress during the holidays can build.

Busy schedules, financial strain, and competing demands between each person’s family and friends can exacerbate the issues already present.

Of course, you and your partner want to enjoy this time of year and hopefully enjoy one another.  So, how do you keep your relationship stress under control during this time of the year?  

What coping strategies can you engage in that will keep your stress levels under control and increase your chances of appreciating and enjoying one another this holiday season?

Here are five tips for managing relationship stress during the holidays.

1.  Take Time to Talk 

Set aside 20 minutes each day to talk with your partner. Discuss plans or any concerns you have now so you know how the other person is doing. At that time, make specific requests from your partner if you need any assistance, for instance, with gift shopping, party planning, cooking, or RSVP’ing to invitations.

Also, use this time to express your appreciation for one another or to reconnect and be together. Daily check-ins can prevent you from feeling distant or avoiding discussing difficult topics.

2.  Delegate and Outsource

Give yourself permission to delegate responsibilities to others if you feel too stressed. Have your children help set up and clean up from your holiday party, or ask a family member to host Thanksgiving this year.  

If going to the mall to shop for gifts feels too overwhelming, stick to online shopping this year.  Set limits and boundaries for yourself to avoid relationship stress during the holidays.

3.  Let It Go

You want to enjoy yourself and your relationship during the holidays, so pick your battles and practice letting go. What is really worth arguing about with your partner?  

Evaluate whether or not it would be better to let something go and move past it rather than engage in conflict. You can always revisit the issue at a different time.

4.  Get Support 

This might be a good time to talk to a counselor or therapist if you feel you both need a little extra support. Seeking the help of a third party is wise and a sign that you and your partner are committed to each other.

A therapist can help you both avoid relationship stress during the holidays and help you find new ways of behaving toward one another.  

5.  Remember the Good Times 

Think back to the beginning of your relationship and the aspects of your partner that drew you to him or her. Remember the way you once were together.  Recall moments when you felt most loved and supported by him or her.  

Take extra time this holiday season to focus on these parts of your loved one and your relationship. Remember the positives. Symmetry Counseling is a group practice of therapists in Chicago that focuses on providing individual, couple, and family therapy.