The holiday time is upon us and many of us are busy making arrangements, completing holiday shopping lists, planning road trips, and whatnot. While holidays are what we look forward to the whole year, there are moments when we regret participating when the holidays arrive.

There rarely is a holiday spent when we could manage to avoid the family drama completely. No matter how hard we try to stay clear of it, there almost always is a family member or a complicated situation waiting to ruin the moment.

While we may not be able to rid you of all the complexities of the family, what we can do is list down a few helpful ways for you to at least minimize the drama during the holidays. Here they are:

Arrange Group Family Activities

When the holidays arrive, the first thought cannot be to completely isolate yourself from everyone. One has to make efforts to make the holiday as comforting as possible for everyone around.

One neat way you could do that is to arrange fun and engaging activities for the whole family to enjoy. For instance, simply calling the Spectrum customer service team and subscribing to the Spectrum bundles will enable you to access a whole library of movies and TV shows that can create the perfect movie night for the whole family to enjoy. Revamp the living room with comfy couches and bean bags, make bucket loads of popcorn and enjoy the most hilarious of movies that Hollywood has to offer.

Learn to Ignore

You have to make peace with the fact that friction amongst family members is inevitable. There will come numerous occasions when you would start screaming and shouting at the person talking to you.

However, the effective tactic is the exact opposite. While it may seem literally impossible to do so, you have to master the art of ignoring. If a person is presenting you with their own perspective on a matter, it does not mean that you have to apply that perspective to your life. You can simply listen, forget, and move on. After all, “Ignorance is Bliss”.

Spread the Positivity

Seeking happiness and positivity in your life requires some serious effort on your part. You cannot be the one waiting for others to do the hard work for you. If you want to be happy with your life, you have to be the one bringing joy and happiness to yourself. Make an effort to spread the laughter, crack a joke, play an innocent prank, and who knows what else. There is a lot you could do once you start thinking positively.

Talk It Out

Communicating your concerns and frustrations may be a painful thought, but the reality is that there is no other better way of resolving your family issues or any issue for that matter. So grab your family and have a detailed talk about what may be bothering you. Remember though, that you have to be ready to hear and say all the hard things that are going through everyone’s minds. And at the same time maintain a cool and calm mental state. This may require the highest level of patience.

Go for a Walk

Often, doing everything to resolve family issues is just not enough. You might need to take a breather and seclude yourself from the complications for brief periods of time. We are not saying that you need to run away from the problems, never to face them again. However, going for a walk in the park, or getting a cone of ice cream for yourself may prove to be enough to refresh your mind.

Do Not Expect

Another thing that you should note down on your mental journals permanently is that only expectations bring the possibility of disappointment. You might be expecting a family member to behave a certain way, or do a certain chore in the house. But if you do not expect them to do so and be grateful when they actually, you will automatically start to feel that your frustration level is reducing and your happiness is elevating.

Set Firm Boundaries

No matter how close you may be with a friend, cousin, or any other family member, you have to understand and make them do so as well, that everyone has certain boundaries and they should be respected. Some matters may be discussed with the whole family, some with immediate family, and some that only you and only your solo-self have the right to know. If any person attempts to cross that boundary, you should decline in a polite yet firm manner.

Go, Solo

If the people that are close to you are completely hopeless, and you want a holiday where there is no one near to ruin the whole holidays, you might want to consider a solo holiday. Pack your bag, grab a ticket, and go on soul-searching, mind-charging, and body-refreshing vacation of your life. Skydiving, parasailing, hiking, trekking, or simply traveling, there is an endless list of things that you could do to enjoy your vacations.

All Things Considered

Family is the most important part of anyone’s family. A person may choose their friends but there is no choice as to who will become a family member. Thus, mending relationships with them should be our highest priority.