The festive season can be a great occasion to spend some well-needed quality time with your significant other, family and friends. Unfortunately, the holiday season is also a great source of stress for many people, for various reasons. Some common challenges for couples include deciding how much money to budget for gifts and spending equal time with both sides of the family, while trying to keep the health of their own relationship in check.
Society puts a lot of pressure on us to have the perfect family portrait, glorious homecooked food, and the most beautifully decorated house in the neighbourhood. With a never-ending to-do-list and a limited amount of time, unfortunately our priorities can sometimes shift away from our partner during this time. This blog addresses how young couples can dedicate time and support to one another during the busy holiday period.
Couple Quality time during Holiday season
Christmas is usually a busy time for many people. As previously mentioned, one of the challenges that many couples face is spending quality time together as a couple amongst the many festivities taking place during this period. It might be beneficial to discuss which events are important to each of you, and which others you might consider declining. It is sometimes impossible to keep up with and attend every event you are invited to. Saying no to others means saying yes to you as a couple. Make date nights a priority, so that you can share new experiences and have fun together. The time spent together could be a great way for the two of you to connect during this period.
Family
Incorporating family and friends and respecting traditions is an important part of the Christmas spirit. It can be quite stressful to have family around while also trying to give your partner the attention that they need when you need to reconnect with relatives that you don’t see very often. Show your partner how important your family is to you, while also making sure that your partner actively participates in any festivities so as to feel integrated into your traditions. Be sure to also check in with one another if you know that certain topics trigger your partner regarding their own family. This can greatly support fostering emotional intimacy in your relationship, which helps with building stronger and closer bonds between couples.
If you are a young couple having just started your relationship, it might mean that this will be your first Christmas together, and you might therefore still be learning about all the quirks of navigating this time together. Remember that, besides being somewhat stressful, the holidays should ideally also be enjoyable and a time to cherish our loved ones. Honor and make room for family traditions, but also create your own in order to make Christmas meaningful in a way that is particular to you both. Ultimately, remember that Christmas only comes once a year and it can be a time to nurture your relationship to grow stronger, helping you to navigate stressful times together.
If you think that you can benefit from professional support on this issue you can reach out here.
Pamela Borg is a counsellor who enjoys working therapeutically with adults experiencing various issues. These include general mental health and wellbeing, gender, sexuality, relationship issues.
References:
Bedford, B.A. (2022). 6 Tips for Spending Your First Holiday Season with Your Partner. Retrieved from: https://theeverygirl.com/first-holiday-season-with-partner/
Fensterheim, S. (2023). How to Find Ways of Spending Time Together on Holidays. Retrieved from: https://www.marriage.com/advice/relationship/spending-time-together/#:~:text=Make%20date%20nights%20a%20priority,experiences%20to%20bind%20you%20together.
N.D. (2018). The holidays are the best time to spend quality time with your partner (said no one ever). Retrieved from: https://medium.com/emi-couple/the-holidays-are-the-best-time-to-spend-quality-time-with-your-partner-said-no-one-ever-884082d94a35
Helmich, P. (n.d.). Six Ways to Nurture Your Relationship During the Holidays—and Every Day. Retrieved from: https://kripalu.org/resources/six-ways-nurture-your-relationship-during-holidays-and-every-day