Christmas is synonymous with peace and love, but it can also be a real headache. In this festive season, the family joins the table and those more toxic members appear to give the air of their grace and leave us with our hair on end. Learn some tricks to deal with family toxicity
On the radio, Mariah Carey’s All I Want for Christmas Is You can already be heard, on television, the advertisements and, in the streets, the Christmas lights begin – moderately due to the energy crisis – to appear. Christmas is already beginning to be drawn and, with it, love and solidarity are proclaimed, it is not as rosy as it seems.
Making the Christmas tree, organizing a big Christmas dinner are magical and nostalgic activities, but what about toxic family members? Well, Christmas doesn’t just bring good things, we often have to deal with the most toxic part of the family during these festive days. That grumpy sister-in-law, the obnoxious uncle or the cousin who knows no bounds.
But don’t panic, with the right tips she can learn to deal with all this toxicity without much trouble.
First of all, she must know her limits and the power of the word “no”. That is, during the festivities you should convey the limits to these family members in advance and keep a second set of tacit limits in your head. Deep down, create tactics and plans to deal with attitudes that you find most unpleasant. For example, has anyone become more aggressive or impertinent? Go to another space.
Having an escape strategy is also important, for both unpleasant conversations and situations. If you see that the conversation with a family member is not going to end in a good way, find some statements to end the conversation such as: “I need to get some fresh air, I’ll be right back” or “Sorry, but I really need to solve a problem, we’ll talk later.”
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