Preparing for Christmas – Ten Top Tips
It’s Time to Prepare for Christmas. Don’t leave it too late – again!
It’s Time to Prepare for Christmas so Here are our Top Ten Tips
Don’t leave it too late – again!
In my last blog, I wrote about the Stages of Conflict and that blog was meant to highlight a certain type of conflict that arises when feelings connected to earlier difficult situations are unexpressed and fester and grow.
Christmas is Coming
The reason I want to pinpoint the type of conflict that’s generally a repeat pattern of old conflicts is of course the fact that we are rapidly approaching that time of year when families get together and old tensions spring to life.
However, I’m not just talking about what happens when these families get together; I’m also talking about the knock-on effects on the rest of people’s lives. Often there’s a bit of cat-kicking that happens where people take out their anxiety over the upcoming family gathering in the workplace as well as other arenas.
Preparing for Christmas
So let’s see how you might be able to manage some of your conflict situations and improve your communication in the build-up to and over the impending holidays.
Here are our TOP TIPS for managing conflict at Christmas:
Top Tips for Preparing for Christmas
- 1. Set Clear Boundaries
- 2. Establish Clear Timings
- 3. Share Tasks
- 4. Help Out
- 5. Don’t Take Sides
- 6. Act With Good Grace
- 7. Silent Toilet Scream
- 8. Practise Compassion
- 9. Let Them Be Right
- 10. Relax and Enjoy
1. Set Clear Boundaries
Set really clear boundaries about when you are going to arrive and when you’re going to leave any family gathering.
2. Establish Clear Timings
3. Share Tasks
If people are coming to you, give everyone a task so the burden doesn’t fall on the same people (you!) for yet another year.
4. Help Out
If you are going to someone else’s then ask for a task or observe what might be needed and quietly get on with doing it.
5. Don’t Take Sides
Avoid getting drawn into other people’s dramas. Avoid taking sides and creating sides for other people to take.
6. Act With Good Grace
If you are celebrating the holidays with a particular family member because it might ‘be their last’ then do it with an open heart and good grace. Sulking and pouting, because you resent being where you are, serves no one and only contributes to everyone’s unhappiness.
7. Silent Toilet Scream
If things get really tough, go into the toilet for a silent scream – they work wonders!
8. Practise Compassion
Speaking of an open heart, see if you can look at other people and their aggravating behaviour with more compassion and less annoyance.
9. Let Them Be Right
Let ‘them’ be right. There’s no need to try to fight your corner about the best way to make dressing. If one of your relatives comments that it would be better another way, say something along the lines of, “You’re probably right; I’ll remember that for the next time.” And then zip your lip. Letting someone be right can be a great relief because you avoid a circular argument that no one can win.
10. Relax and Enjoy
You’ve done all your preparations for Christmas. There’s nothing more to do. It will be what it will be, so relax, and eat the mince pies.
And if it’s all too much, then plan a trip next year and leave the country.
Check out Impact Factory’s
Conflict Management – Assertiveness – and Communication courses.
Preparing for Christmas Top Ten Tips
By Jo Ellen Grzyb, Director, Impact Factory
