The holidays are nearly upon us and that means it’s that dreaded time of year where our families spend time together. For some, it can cause stress or anger and the desire to change your number and move houses so they’ll never find you again. However, before you take any drastic steps to avoid family during holidays, consider the following tips on how to survive the holiday season.

1. Make time for yourself

Spending a prolonged amount of time with anyone can be tiresome, let alone a group of people whose sole purpose seems to revolve around judging your lifestyle choices. So, it’s important to make time for yourself because holidays are supposed to be fun as well.

Spend time with friends, go to parties, and pursue your hobbies. It’s a season for seeing family, but it should also consist of fun things that you can enjoy as well.  You’ll probably find that your temperament improves as a result.

2. Stay somewhere else

Many of you will be staying with your parents or other family during the holiday season, and this can be disastrous. The Guardian suggest to stay at a hotel if you can possibly afford it and we couldn’t agree more.

Having somewhere else to go when you’ve had enough makes everything less painful. You may find yourself having a better time because there’s an end in sight and if a fight happens, you have a legitimate excuse to get out of there!

3. Pick your battles

Everybody is embarrassed or annoyed by their family at some point. Learning the difference between harsh criticism and simple insensitivity is a great way to surviving the holidays.

Don’t take anything personally when your grandparents – who haven’t quite gotten used to the modern world – ask uncomfortable questions or make sweeping offensive statements. Knowing when to pick a fight and when to laugh it off will make everything far less tense.

4. Treat it like an interview

Unwanted intrusions into your personal life are inevitable so treat it like a work interview. When asked the unavoidable questions such as your relationship status, career progression or weekend rendezvous, have an answer.

Prepare short, to-the-point answers and have information on a few current events memorised to deflect and the steer the conversation.

5. Ignore the negativity

When families get together, there’s bound to be harsh words said and the occasional fight. But remember that we only get a certain number of holidays with our families. In years to come, you’ll probably find yourself missing how your grandmother used to chastise your life choices.

Ignore the negativity and enjoy the ride while you can. The haters are gonna hate but only because they either don’t know you enough or are jealous.  If all else fails, there’s always gin that’ll help you survive the holiday season.

So, smile and have a few drinks and remember that they are family and they won’t be around forever. It’ll also be a whole year before you have to do this again – that is, if you don’t try to avoid family during the holidays.

by Steve Katte