Survival Tips for 6 Common Holiday Problems
While we are looking forward to the Christmas holidays, there are a few common problems that occur from year to year. Here are 6 common issues and tips to deal with them this year.
1) You Missed a Flight
Stay calm and don’t stress! If it’s your fault that you’ve missed the flight, whether you are charged to change a flight really depends on the airline, but sometimes staff have the power to waive the added payment. Make sure you’re polite, apologetic and patient. Staff will be much more willing to accommodate if they feel appreciated. If you’ve got a frequent flier account, this can help you. If it’s a missed connection because of a previous flight delay, you may even be able to bag some freebies out of it (depending on the airline, once again).
#2) Over-extended Budget
It is easy to go overboard in an attempt to please everyone over the holidays. Set a reasonable budget and avoid the temptation to stray. When you are making your gift lists, determine how much you can spend on each person and stick with it! If entertaining is eating up your budget, consider hosting a potluck style event instead. This way, everyone brings something and it won’t cost as much!
#3) Disappointment
The holidays come packed with high expectations. Norman Rockwell and Martha Stewart have irritatingly stained our visions of what the holiday season “should” be, making it difficult to not be disappointed by reality. Try for a “good enough” holiday season. By keeping expectations realistic and focusing on what’s really important to you, you may just find that your “good enough” holiday turns out to be “pretty great” after all.
#4) I can’t stand my family!
This is the time of year when families feel compelled to come together in peaceful, loving harmony—whether they like it or not! If your family is truly abusive, unpleasant or unhealthy for you, know that you have the choice to decline spending time with them. If, like most families however, they are just mildly irritating, boastful, opinionated or hypercritical, use this opportunity to practice your coping and communication skills. Patience!
#5) I haven’t accomplished anything this year!
As the New Year nears, we begin to take stock of the past months and may feel down over unmet goals. Perhaps you didn’t lose the weight or didn’t get that promotion at work or the garage remains a mess or your files disorganized. It’s great to set goals for yourself, but it’s a reality that they are not always met within the timeframe we had hoped. Rather than feeling down about what you didn’t do last year, take this time to re-evaluate. Why didn’t these things get done? Are these goals still important to you?
#6) It’s just too much.
If you find that you just can’t cope with your anxiety or sadness, be sure to get the help you need. The holidays can be a very difficult time. If you are feeling overwhelmed by your feelings, talk to your doctor or find a mental health professional. This is the time to make resolutions for the New Year and now is the perfect time to address any issues with anxiety or depression that you have been dealing with.
