3 Strategies to Navigate Being Home for the Holidays

“No one can get under your skin like family.”

Air Date

November 21, 2022

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Do you get excited about the holidays and decorate as early as possible? Do you have your Christmas tree up before the Halloween candy is gone? We love the holiday season, but know that while many feel excitement over the decorations, holiday-flavored coffee, and spending time with family, the holiday season can also be filled with stress and disappointment. As you prepare to go home for the holidays or if you are facing the holidays alone, we want to give you three strategies in this episode to help you navigate the holidays and have more joy!

Key Takeaways

Visiting family can be complicated because there are old patterns of behavior that are hard to push back against to maintain healthy growth.
Boundaries are how we take care of our emotional stuff and leave your emotional stuff to you.
Boundary lines get blurred because people care about you, and this can lead them to ask things that unknowingly cross a boundary line.
An appropriate response to a crossed boundary is to deflect unwanted comments by saying, “Thank you for caring, but that is actually between me and God.” or “I’m enjoying what I have in the present moment.”
Ask for your needs and respect when others ask you for theirs. This might mean leaving an event early to be able to recoup or taking time to yourself to recognize what you need.
Don’t forget to have fun! Focus on calling out the good and let go of judgment.
Your joy can spread! It is contagious when you are full of joy and it can change the tone of whatever environment you find yourself in this year.