Christmas is a time of joy for family and friends – most of the time. But if you’ve been a relationship for a little while, you may have become familiar with the little arguments and stressors which can make your couple’s Christmas a little more dramatic than you had hoped.
With so much pressure for perfection during the Christmas season it can be easy to let your relationship suffer a little in amongst the gift buying, turkey preparation and party hosting. So, take a look at our top 5 tips for strengthening your relationship during the holiday period.
Commit to Communicate
Make sure not overlook the power of communication during this time. Avoid misunderstandings and unnecessary arguments by taking the time to calmly communicate with your partner. Ensure that you are properly understood and that you understand what your partner is asking of you.
Take the Time to Check In With Your Partner
With so much going on it is easy to become overwhelmed and stressed. The depths of winter are also difficult periods for those struggling with stress and loneliness. So, make the time to check in with how your partner is feeling in amongst all the seasonal stress, make sure they feel “seen” and supported and make sure to communicate your own troubles if you are feeling low.
Approach the Season as a Team
Approach the Christmas season as a team, supporting each other in gift planning, backing each other up in awkward family visits and helping each other out with the cooking. A team of two is always going to be able to achieve more than two individuals 9and with a lot less stress involved.)
It’s the Little Things That Count!
It’s the season for giving, and you can make your partner feel extra treasured by putting in the extra effort to make sure they feel treasured and appreciated. A box of chocolates or bottle of wine when you know someone had had a dreadful day can have just as much long term emotional impact as a grand gesture come Christmas morning.
So, make sure to pay attention and pick out little acts of kindness and giving which will brighten their day and help to elevate stress and seasonal anxiety.
Be Prepared to Forgive and Show Grace
In the struggle to get all work tasks completed before the Christmas break, juggle visits with difficult relatives, and make sure you don’t go disastrously overbudget with gift buying – it’s easy to become stressed and short-tempered. And when this occurs it becomes easy for partners to snap at each other and have arguments about pointless, little issues which wouldn’t matter at any other time of the year.
So, make sure not to let the trivial things spoil your seasonal celebrations. Practice forgiveness and don’t let pride build a mountain from a molehill. Forgiveness can be a sign of strength, character and maturity and will allow your Christmas season to proceed without tension and stress.
