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The holidays can be full of joy, warmth and tradition for many, but they can also bring stress, time commitments and complicated family dynamics. (Adobe Stock)\t\t<\/p>\n\t\tThe holidays can be full of joy, warmth and tradition for many, but they can also bring stress, time commitments and complicated family dynamics. (Adobe Stock)\t\t<\/p>\n
The holidays can be full of joy, warmth and tradition for many, but they can also bring stress, time commitments and complicated family dynamics.<\/p>\n
To help families navigate the season with greater ease, Florida State University\u2019s Jamila Holcomb<\/a> and Nari Jeter<\/a> offer insights on managing stress and family dynamics during the holiday season.<\/p>\n Holcomb and Jeter are both licensed marriage and family therapists and teaching faculty in the Department of Human Development and Family Science<\/a> at the Anne Spencer Daves College of Education, Health, and Human Sciences (Anne\u2019s College)<\/a>. Holcomb offers guidance on managing holiday stress, setting boundaries and strengthening family connections, while Jeter provides insights on navigating holiday gatherings with romantic partners.<\/p>\n Media interested in covering each family dynamic further may reach out to Professors Holcomb (jholcomb@fsu.edu<\/a>) and Jeter (nari.jeter@fsu.edu<\/a>) via email.<\/p>\n Jamila Holcomb, associate teaching professor<\/p>\n Why do holidays, which are supposed to be joyful, so often become stressful for families? How can people balance time between multiple families (e.g., in-laws, divorced parents, blended families) without guilt?\u00a0
The pressure to create holiday joy or magic often results in families spending a lot of money, stressing about organizing or attending holiday events, and feeling external pressure to come together as a family, even if the family isn\u2019t very close or has had conflict. If individuals are already stressed in trying to perform for the holiday season, this often spills over into the family system.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I think honoring that feeling is important. We often feel guilty because we want to spend time with everyone, or because we feel like we have to. If it\u2019s the former, then perhaps stating your intentions to all family members and setting a schedule for when to see everyone. That way, everyone is aware of your goal to see as many people as possible. If it\u2019s the latter (because you feel like you have to), then that is a great opportunity to reflect on why you feel that way. Where is the pressure coming from? Are these healthy relationships? What would the consequences be if you didn\u2019t see everyone? The results of these questions would likely indicate the need to establish healthy boundaries for yourself.\u00a0<\/p>\n