{"id":1159,"date":"2021-12-03T20:42:03","date_gmt":"2021-12-03T20:42:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.lotuspsychgroup.com\/tips-for-managing-toxic-family-relationships-during-the-holidays\/"},"modified":"2022-07-12T09:45:13","modified_gmt":"2022-07-12T09:45:13","slug":"tips-for-managing-toxic-family-relationships-during-the-holidays","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.lotuspsychgroup.com\/stagingnew\/tips-for-managing-toxic-family-relationships-during-the-holidays\/","title":{"rendered":"Tips for Managing Toxic Family Relationships During the Holidays"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t<div data-elementor-type=\"wp-post\" data-elementor-id=\"1159\" class=\"elementor elementor-1159\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-52c63450 elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"52c63450\" data-element_type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-1c2ef45c\" data-id=\"1c2ef45c\" data-element_type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-74962358 elementor-align-left elementor-widget elementor-widget-post-info\" data-id=\"74962358\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"post-info.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<ul class=\"elementor-inline-items elementor-icon-list-items elementor-post-info\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<li class=\"elementor-icon-list-item elementor-repeater-item-e7fd252 elementor-inline-item\" itemprop=\"author\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.lotuspsychgroup.com\/stagingnew\/author\/ryan\/\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-icon-list-icon\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<i aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"far fa-user-circle\"><\/i>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-icon-list-text elementor-post-info__item elementor-post-info__item--type-author\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tRyan\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n\t\t\t\t<li class=\"elementor-icon-list-item elementor-repeater-item-dcaeb96 elementor-inline-item\" itemprop=\"datePublished\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.lotuspsychgroup.com\/stagingnew\/2021\/12\/03\/\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-icon-list-icon\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<i aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"fas fa-calendar\"><\/i>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-icon-list-text elementor-post-info__item elementor-post-info__item--type-date\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tDecember 3, 2021\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n\t\t\t\t<\/ul>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-5b1bf657 elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"5b1bf657\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t<h2 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">Tips for Managing Toxic Family Relationships During the Holidays\n<\/h2>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-3ffa9ef4 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"3ffa9ef4\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tWe all have that family member (maybe a few) who we dread seeing during the holidays. We want to enjoy our family celebrations and holiday traditions, but we may find ourselves getting caught up in dealing with these toxic family members more than we would like. If you\u2019re dreading a holiday gathering this year because you have toxic family relationships, you\u2019re not alone. Many people are dealing with the same struggles right now. In this blog, we\u2019ll take a look at a few simple tips for managing toxic family relationships during the holidays and all year long. \n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-18fc2d57 elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"18fc2d57\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t<h2 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">1 \u2013 Be Prepared \n<\/h2>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-6a272906 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"6a272906\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tMake a plan before you go to your family\u2019s holiday gathering. This can help you feel a greater sense of control in a difficult situation and avoid unnecessary stress or anxiety leading up to the holiday event. You can\u2019t control everything that happens during your family\u2019s holiday gatherings, but you can have more control over your experience by taking steps like: \n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-4322c8d3 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"4322c8d3\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p id=\"viewer-9lcoh\" class=\"mm8Nw _1j-51 roLFQS _1FoOD _3M0Fe Z63qyL roLFQS public-DraftStyleDefault-block-depth0 fixed-tab-size public-DraftStyleDefault-text-ltr\"><span class=\"_2PHJq public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr\">\u00b7 Decide how long you\u2019ll stay before you leave. If you need to have another event to go to so no one\u2019s feelings get hurt, that\u2019s fine, but remember it\u2019s perfectly acceptable to just say you need to leave at a certain time. <\/span><\/p><p id=\"viewer-60v9f\" class=\"mm8Nw _1j-51 roLFQS _1FoOD _3M0Fe Z63qyL roLFQS public-DraftStyleDefault-block-depth0 fixed-tab-size public-DraftStyleDefault-text-ltr\"><span class=\"_2PHJq public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr\">\u00b7 Pick your battles. You know what toxic behaviors you can deal with and which ones are dangerous or unacceptable. Ignoring certain behaviors doesn\u2019t mean you\u2019re condoning them. It just means you\u2019re creating space for your own mental health during family gatherings by not pushing back and creating conflict related to every toxic comment or behavior. <\/span><\/p><p id=\"viewer-fjh36\" class=\"mm8Nw _1j-51 roLFQS _1FoOD _3M0Fe Z63qyL roLFQS public-DraftStyleDefault-block-depth0 fixed-tab-size public-DraftStyleDefault-text-ltr\"><span class=\"_2PHJq public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr\">\u00b7 Set boundaries. Be firm and direct but set your boundary with kindness, which will make it easier for your loved one to accept. Setting boundaries can be difficulty. If you struggle with this, <a class=\"_3Bkfb _1lsz7\" href=\"https:\/\/www.lotuspsychgroup.com\/projects\/individual-therapy\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" data-hook=\"linkViewer\">consider working with a therapist<\/a> or a trusted friend who sets good boundaries to practice this skill before the holidays. <\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-46187614 elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"46187614\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t<h2 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">2 \u2013 Keep Your Expectations in Check\n<\/h2>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-47d4d8a0 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"47d4d8a0\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tMany people find themselves believing that, this year, things are going to be different. This high expectation is almost certain to be untrue when it comes to dealing with toxic family relationships. Even if you go into the situation with a positive attitude ready to make the holidays great for everyone, your attitude is the only one you have any control over, and it\u2019s not likely that everyone will suddenly be different this year. Go into the holidays with the knowledge that people will act the way they always do and prepare to deal with that. \n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-341bacb6 elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"341bacb6\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t<h2 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">3 \u2013 Limit Interactions with Toxic People \n<\/h2>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-1b335ec4 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"1b335ec4\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tWhen you\u2019re at the gathering, spend time with the family members who bring you joy. You don\u2019t have to completely ignore toxic people, but you can create a plan to limit your time with them. You can take steps like:\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-145d580c elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"145d580c\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p id=\"viewer-ci02u\" class=\"mm8Nw _1j-51 roLFQS _1FoOD _3M0Fe Z63qyL roLFQS public-DraftStyleDefault-block-depth0 fixed-tab-size public-DraftStyleDefault-text-ltr\"><span class=\"_2PHJq public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr\">\u00b7 Have a friend you can text an SOS who will call to interrupt you if you can\u2019t break away. <\/span><\/p><p id=\"viewer-9dn3m\" class=\"mm8Nw _1j-51 roLFQS _1FoOD _3M0Fe Z63qyL roLFQS public-DraftStyleDefault-block-depth0 fixed-tab-size public-DraftStyleDefault-text-ltr\"><span class=\"_2PHJq public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr\">\u00b7 Make a deal with another loved one at the gathering who will serve as a buffer if things get rough.<\/span><\/p><p id=\"viewer-qs2u\" class=\"mm8Nw _1j-51 roLFQS _1FoOD _3M0Fe Z63qyL roLFQS public-DraftStyleDefault-block-depth0 fixed-tab-size public-DraftStyleDefault-text-ltr\"><span class=\"_2PHJq public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr\">\u00b7 Set boundaries (I know we already said this, but it bears repeating). Tell your toxic loved on that you\u2019re not going to be discussing politics, your relationship status, your parenting skills, or whatever toxic subject that triggers your discomfort. <\/span><\/p><p id=\"viewer-7nrnr\" class=\"mm8Nw _1j-51 roLFQS _1FoOD _3M0Fe Z63qyL roLFQS public-DraftStyleDefault-block-depth0 fixed-tab-size public-DraftStyleDefault-text-ltr\"><span class=\"_2PHJq public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr\">\u00b7 Leave early. Remember you don\u2019t need to stay to the very end of every family gathering. Leave when you\u2019re ready to leave.<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-7bdd639 elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"7bdd639\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t<h2 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">4 \u2013 Change the Subject\n<\/h2>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-67884ce2 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"67884ce2\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tIf your toxic family member keeps bringing up whatever topic creates tension, change the subject. One of the best ways to do this is to turn the tables. For instance, if a toxic family member is constantly belittling your career, ask them about their work, or turn to another family member and ask how their job is going. Try to keep the conversation light, but remember, you don\u2019t have to talk about anything you don\u2019t want to. Finally, if the family member continues criticizing your career despite your efforts to change the subject, you can set a boundary by saying, \u201cI know you don\u2019t care for my job, but I really enjoy it. Can we talk about something else?\u201d \n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-efaaed6 elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"efaaed6\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t<h2 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">5 \u2013 Practice Good Self-Care \n<\/h2>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-488bd55 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"488bd55\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p id=\"viewer-fc7m8\" class=\"mm8Nw _1j-51 roLFQS _1FoOD _3M0Fe Z63qyL roLFQS public-DraftStyleDefault-block-depth0 fixed-tab-size public-DraftStyleDefault-text-ltr\"><span class=\"_2PHJq public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr\">Finally, make sure you\u2019re taking care of yourself before, during, and after holiday gatherings, so you feel stable and healthy throughout the stresses of the holidays. You can practice affirmations that repeat each day (and during family gatherings when things get rough) to remind you of your own self-worth. Make sure to eat healthy, exercise, and get plenty of sleep. Reserve the bulk of your time for loved ones and friends whose company you really enjoy. You can also make time for therapy sessions at Lotus Psychology Group to help you develop skills to manage toxic relationships. To get started, simply <a class=\"_3Bkfb _1lsz7\" href=\"https:\/\/www.lotuspsychgroup.com\/our-office\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" data-hook=\"linkViewer\">call or email our Livonia therapy practice<\/a>. We look forward to hearing from you.<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-3b137973 elementor-widget elementor-widget-image\" data-id=\"3b137973\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"image.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"999\" height=\"438\" src=\"https:\/\/www.lotuspsychgroup.com\/stagingnew\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/file-8529453.png\" class=\"attachment-large size-large wp-image-1188\" alt=\"file-8529453\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.lotuspsychgroup.com\/stagingnew\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/file-8529453.png 999w, https:\/\/www.lotuspsychgroup.com\/stagingnew\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/file-8529453-300x132.png 300w, https:\/\/www.lotuspsychgroup.com\/stagingnew\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/file-8529453-768x337.png 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 999px) 100vw, 999px\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-4ccb1fa6 elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"4ccb1fa6\" data-element_type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-48692225\" data-id=\"48692225\" data-element_type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>We all have that family member (maybe a few) who we dread seeing during the holidays. We want to enjoy our family celebrations and&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":1188,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"elementor_header_footer","format":"standard","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1159","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-psychology"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lotuspsychgroup.com\/stagingnew\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1159","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lotuspsychgroup.com\/stagingnew\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lotuspsychgroup.com\/stagingnew\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lotuspsychgroup.com\/stagingnew\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lotuspsychgroup.com\/stagingnew\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1159"}],"version-history":[{"count":14,"href":"https:\/\/www.lotuspsychgroup.com\/stagingnew\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1159\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1980,"href":"https:\/\/www.lotuspsychgroup.com\/stagingnew\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1159\/revisions\/1980"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lotuspsychgroup.com\/stagingnew\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1188"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lotuspsychgroup.com\/stagingnew\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1159"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lotuspsychgroup.com\/stagingnew\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1159"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lotuspsychgroup.com\/stagingnew\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1159"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}