Christmas time can be one of the most stressful times of the year for a couple. The additional financial strain plus having to spread yourself thinly across your family and friends means that there’s little or no time left for your relationship. With this in mind, I’ve compiled my top ten tips for surviving Christmas together:
Christmas on Female First
Go easy on the booze. Christmas is a time of excess - we all tend to buy too much, receive too much and drink too much.
Too much alcohol can ruin Christmas. Not just for you but for your loved ones as well. Emotional states are heightened under the influence of alcohol, people can become more sensitive and argumentative. Not a winning combination.
Plan your time. Wondering how on earth all those pre Christmas visits are going to get squeezed in? The best way to avoid this stress is to plan ahead of time what you will be doing and when.
Sit down with your partner and formulate your plan of attack together. This will make sure no one is left out and that you can go into December feeling confident and relaxed about all those visits.
Agree to disagree. There’s bound to be some sort of disagreement on Christmas day. Research on behalf of WWE 2K18 has shown that the most likely time for an argument to be between 11am and 2pm.
Be prepared for conflict so that when it arises, it does not spoil your day. If you or your partner need time out then have it. A quick winter stroll could save your Christmas.
Play a game. Scrabble or Monopoly are great but for more and more couples, video games are the way forwards. One in ten couples are already citing video games, such as WWE 2K18, as a sure fire way to relieve pent up anger or frustration. If you or your partner feel like diffusing some tension via console then go for it, it’s good for your Christmas spirit and will mean that post game you’ll be better equipped to deal with the rest of the day!
Be grateful. It’s not uncommon for partners to be a little off the mark when present buying. With all that choice on the shelves it’s not surprising that the experience of Christmas shopping can be wholly overwhelming.
If you receive something that definitely wasn’t top of your list, don’t let on. Be grateful that they made an effort and know that no matter how bad the present is they chose it believing that they were doing the right thing. The age-old adage ‘it’s the thought that counts’ is even truer when Christmas day rolls around.
Offer to help. No matter where you are on Christmas Day or who you’re with, offering to help can be one of the best ways to ensure that Christmas day runs smoothly. On the flip side asking for help is just as important. Don’t be afraid to assign ‘jingle bell jobs’ to your loved ones.
Make sure you get some alone time. As a couple on Christmas Day you will need to make sure you get some time together. Alone time is so important, even more so on Christmas day as chances are you’ll have spent the run up visiting friends, family and getting everything done in time for the big day.
Something as simple as enjoying a lie in together will tick the box for alone time and mean that you’re ready, and rested, for all the ups and downs of the day itself.
Set a budget. Christmas is a pricey time. It’s a good idea to set some boundaries so you don’t start the New Year poorer than necessary. Sit down with your partner and set a limit on how much you are going to spend, or better yet save on presents and club together to buy something for your relationship such as a holiday or meal out.
Embrace the stress. If you go into the Christmas period with your eyes open you’re less likely to have any nasty surprises. Christmas is going to be stressful in parts but it’s also going to be wonderful in others. By managing your stress levels you’re laying the groundwork to make sure that those wonderful times stay wonderful.
So there you have it, my top ten tips for surviving Christmas day together. Merry Christmas on and all!
For further information on WWE 2K18 or other multiplayer games, please visit https://www.2k.com/games/wwe-2k18.