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 conflict, 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 both your stress levels under control and also increase the 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 at the moment so you each know how the other person is doing.  Make specific requests from your partner at that time if you need any assistance, for instance, with gift shopping, party planning, cooking, or RSVP’ing to invitations.

Also, use this time to share your appreciation for one another or to simply reconnect and be together. Daily check-ins can keep you both from feeling distant from one another or avoiding talking about difficult topics.

2.  Delegate and Outsource

Give yourselves permission to delegate responsibilities to other people if you are feeling 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 simply 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 think about talking to a counselor or therapist if you feel you both need a little extra support. Seeking out the help of a third party is wise and a sign you and your partner are committed to each other.

A therapist can help you both avoid relationship stress during the holidays and assist in finding 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 focusing on providing individual, couple, and family therapy in Chicago.