The holidays are more than football (here’s hoping watching the Cowboys is the most painful thing you’ll do this time of year) and food. It can be a season of joy, but for many of us, they can be full of difficult interactions. Whether you’re navigating grief or strained family relationships, the season’s emphasis on togetherness and celebration can feel overwhelming.

Here’s my top five tips (some I will be using personally this year) to help you survive the holidays.

Acknowledge Your Feelings

It’s normal to feel sadness, anger, or anxiety during the holidays. Suppressing these emotions can make them more intense. Allow yourself to grieve, feel frustrated, or even disengage when necessary.

Time with God, talking with a trusted friend, or seeking professional counseling can provide healthy outlets for these emotions.

Set Boundaries

Buried or undealt with difficult family dynamics surface anytime but they love exposure during the holidays. Decide in advance how much time you’re willing to spend in challenging environments, and set clear limits.

Communicate these boundaries calmly but firmly, and don’t feel guilty about prioritizing those boundaries.  (Just remember, boundaries should only be used as a defense mechanism, never a weapon to hurt someone).

Create New Traditions

If loss has made old traditions painful, consider starting new ones. This could involve volunteering, taking a trip, or hosting a small gathering with supportive friends. Fresh traditions can help you find moments of joy and create a sense of purpose.

Practice Self-Care

Holiday stress can be intensified by neglecting basic self-care. Eat good food, stay hydrated, and prioritize sleep. (but not too much). Pickleball, or simply taking a walk can help you reset your head and your heart during emotionally charged moments.

Avoid over consumption

of alcohol

There’s only 2 reasons to drink.  To enhance an already good situation, or to cope with a difficult one.  (I can easily say this from much experience). 

If you’re going through an especially difficult season due to loss, I am so sorry.  This is going to be hard, there’s nothing that will make this season easy. 

But I would tell you that you can get through this and on the other side of it can lead to another layer of healing (I know I needed a lot of those layers the first time I dealt with this). 

If you’d like access to a few videos and other resources on this topic from experts (way smarter than me) go to chaseoaks.org/surviving-the-holidays

If you’d like to talk about any of this (or anything else) shoot me an email at [email protected]

By Todd Baughman, Chase Oaks Church – Woodbridge Campus

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