Here are some resources for minimizing and managing family stress during the holidays.
Family relationships provide a certain link to your past and future that you can't get elsewhere. Whether you have a close or conflicted relationship with family, it can help to have better communication and undetstand the dynamics you all play, so you can reap the benefits of close family relationships if at all possible. Learn more about family relationships and happiness here.
"Mom always did like you best!" Sound familiar? If you feel strained in your relationship with your family because your parents favor another sibling, or another sibling’s family, you may be surprised to find that you’re not alone. Learn how to handle sibling rivalry as an adult, and enjoy your family gatherings much more from now on. Here's how.
Going to a family gathering when there's unresolved conflict, whether from months ago or years ago, can be stressful. Should you let bygones be bygones, or rehash the past? Here's how to relieve some of the stress that comes from unresolved conflict and family gatherings.
When people get together with their families of origin, they often regress to the behavior patterns they had when they were younger, as that’s how we’re usually most experienced in dealing with parents and siblings. It can be stressful to feel pulled toward old patterns, however, especially if you’ve grown beyond these old roles and they no longer reflect who you are. If this describes your situation, here are a few things to try:
The holidays present many opportunities to bond with family, but this time of year can also present significant stress, particularly when family conflict arises. Some conflict can come from having to decide which relatives to see—if any. Here are some ways to divide up your time over the holidays and handle conflicts and holiday stress that may arise.
Social support is a great stress reliever, but relationships can also be a major source of stress. As conflict is virutally inevitable in any relationship, here are ten important tips on managing conflict in a respectful way that yields positive results, rather than damaging your connection and causing additional stress.
Dealing with difficult people is never easy. But while it may be better for your stress level and even improve your health to eliminate strained relationships from your life, it's not always a simple undertaking when the difficult people are relatives, co-workers, or people you otherwise must have in your life. What to do? These tips on dealing with difficult people can help keep conflict at bay and reduce your stress level.
Conventional wisdom (and research) says that good communication can improve relationships, increasing intimacy, trust and support. The converse is also true: poor communication can weaken bonds, creating mistrust and even contempt! Here are some examples of negative and even destructive attitudes and communication patterns that can really mess up a relationship. How many of these sound like something you’d do?
