Christmas and Relationship / Couples Counselling

Christmas and Relationship / Couples Counselling – The Christmas period can be difficult for everyone in different ways, we lose our routines, we are spending more time with family, sometimes we are spending more time with people we wouldn’t normally spend time with at all, perhaps that we don’t particularly like or get on with. There is a pressure to be having fun, spending money, eating and drinking and all of these things can be triggers for people. Put all of that against a background of a pandemic, where there are anxieties and stresses that can put extra pressure on travelling, shopping eating out or meeting up, getting ill and dealing with different people’s boundaries around Covid and what they are comfortable with, it is no wonder that we are all more tense and on edge.

For couples or indeed anyone in a close relationship the extra strain can mean that they stop communicating fractures can occur. Below are 3 tips for a more peaceful Christmas for Couples, people in relationships, families or if you are on your own.

1. Plan ahead – Think together about how you would like Christmas or the holiday season to look. What would you like to happen and what would you not like to happen. Consider, money, time restraints and your boundaries. (This could be around Covid, relationships, money, drinking etc) Then Make a plan about how you are going to achieve what you want to and divide up tasks. Take a look at our blog 3 Tips for Better Time Management for ideas.
2. Plan Buffer Times – Make sure that your plans involves spaces of time that are just for you or you and your immediate people, where no activities are planned that can be used for whatever you need, relaxing, sleeping, being on your own, take a walk whatever it is doesn’t matter, but there needs to be space when you can stop and breathe. Also plan in catch up times, this is to give yourself the chance to deal with anything you need to do that might be worrying you.
3. Don’t drink too much – if you are not a drinker then this won’t apply, but if you like to drink be aware of how much you are drinking, consider the disinhibiting effects of alcohol and how it could take a minor irritant and make it something that you have an argument about.

If, however, things do get too much you may want to talk to a professional about what is happening for you. Paul provides relationship / couples counselling online and can support you to work through your difficulties together. Please look at these blogs to find out more about relationship / couples counselling.

Relationship / Couples Counselling FAQs

Couples Therapy with Paul Carter

Or take a Look at the Couples Therapy Page on this Website.

Other Resources

Relate – How to have an argument free Christmas

NSPCC – Arguments, conflict and family tension during coronavirus (COVID-19)

Family Action – Managing family relationships during a COVID-19 Christmas

Mind – Christmas and Mental Health

If you think it might help you to talk to a professional about your relationship difficulties and you would like to make an appointment with Paul for Counselling, please call Paul on 07843 813 537 or fill in the form on the Contact Page, if he doesn’t answer he is probably in a session, please leave him a message and he will call you back as soon as he can.