Holiday help

i think we’re going home

Pixabay

Sometimes family isn’t familiar by Zöe Lucas

Part of growing up is realizing that sometimes love isn’t enough to hold everything together. The holidays can be a difficult time for many people, whether it’s because of taut family relationships or just the lack of holiday spirit that can be difficult to facilitate during times of hardship.

Going home is a concept that has to be relearned and revisited over and over again. Leaving is always the easier part, but staying away from toxic circumstances and creating boundaries will always be one of the hardest things we take part in as human beings.

For those who may not have a wonderful home life, the holiday season can cause anxiety in large amounts, and that’s greatly understood. It’s difficult to enjoy your time with those you are supposed to love when they are also your biggest source of stress and at times even impact your mental health. This is extremely pertinent to older siblings, who may have been tasked with raising the remains of a family while also trying to hold themselves together and come off as excellent role models.

According to Oprah’s website, one method for dealing with these scenarios is to determine their consequences. Family get-togethers can straddle the line between uncomfortable and unhealthy, and you’re not supposed to constantly take the brunt of others’ issues and insecurities. In an article from Bustle’s website, one woman recommended doubling or tripling your therapy sessions beforehand in order to combat the behavior that you’re expecting while home. Oftentimes, whether that is unconscious or conscious, we do observe patterns of behavior and develop responses to work around them. Think about how common certain occurrences are and attempt to use that as a tool to protect yourself.

One Mountain View senior said, “Try to spend as much time away from them as possible, and if you are not able to get away from them, try to stay neutral and endure it for as long as you can and excuse yourself if you need to.” Another senior advised, “Bring a book to distract yourself and help you to be mentally present somewhere else.”

An alternative option is making yourself a priority. There is nothing wrong with avoiding your home during the holidays. You don’t have to suffer in order to make others happy, especially if they never do the same for you. While avoiding sounds like a large and terrifying concept, it really isn’t if you break it down into smaller steps. Some forms of avoidance that can mitigate snowy spectacles include having a friendsmas celebration instead, going to see a movie to reduce the amount of time spent within your environment, and spending the holidays with the family that doesn’t give you migraines like your siblings or a favorite aunt.

Finally, as a junior told me, “Try to do activities that bring you comfort. Like play a game or watch your favorite movie.”

Part of growing up is also realizing that you are incredibly important and deserve happiness. Sometimes the best thing you can receive as a gift is the perfectly wrapped package of peace, no receipt included.

Nachelle Nocomt