There’s nothing like the sound of kids running around laughing, grandma and mom chatting, and Die Hard bringing the men together.
…But silence is nice too.
Some people thrive on the company of others and that is a beautiful thing, but for those of us who need a little “me time” to survive a chaotic (albeit fun) holiday season, well, we have just the solution.
No one wants to be the person who barely ever sees their relatives and then rushes them out the door as soon as they get there because the thought of a home filled with loud noises and things beyond their control is too overwhelming.
The trick is to find small tasks throughout the day that pull your attention to a quiet place to relax, enabling you to enjoy those moments to recollect and remember how precious spending time with family really is.
Walk the dog
If you have a dog that your son normally walks three times throughout the day offer to take that chore off his hands so he can play with his cousins.
You are not only a hero to your son, but you now have nothing but the sounds of the whistling wind to contend with before every meal.
Run to the store
It is inevitable that an important ingredient or extra bottle of wine is needed for dinner.
Volunteer, and insist, that you are that person to run to the store and grab last-minute items.
Now no one can hear you belt out Deck the Halls in your car and you get a quick reprieve from the “remember when” game.
Be super aunt
After the kids have emptied every toy from the bin and colored all the pages you printed for the whole weekend they are going to beg for something to do.
Most adults will try to brush off the kids’ request so they can tend to the decorations, catch up with family, or begin the massive holiday meal fit for an army.
Be the coolest aunt to your little nieces and nephews while scoring some fun points with your own kids by offering to take them to the park to play capture the flag or on a bike ride around the neighborhood.
Now you will get to sit back on a park bench or burn a few extra calories in peace before replacing them all that evening (why does grandma’s pie have to be so good!).
Finding a quiet break throughout the day is much harder if you are the type of person who has to be in charge of the party and is typically delegating the above tasks to others – but it’s not impossible!
Get up early or stay up late
There’s always the option to be an early riser and get a nice hot cup of coffee in before the commotion starts, or sneak downstairs after everyone goes to bed and eat popcorn while you watch something other than Die Hard.
Exhaustion may set in from all the fun in the day but a nice time of reflection will help you get ready for all the festivities of the next day.
Choose to opt out of one activity
There is usually a family tradition that everyone participates in during the holidays whether it is a movie or a competitive game of Pictionary (seriously Uncle Benny, why are you yelling?).
Tell everyone you will join after washing the dishes or that you are going to get some last-minute wrapping done (which you purposely saved for this moment) and then opt out of the activity.
Exercise
There is always one activity that you can do alone – regardless if you try to invite everyone to join or not – and that is exercising.
Very few people plan on sticking to their fitness routine while on holiday break or when they have guests in town, so whether you are at your house or abroad, you will be able to work out alone.
This usually helps with mental overload as well as physical, giving you the energy you need when all the kids jump on your back or your sisters want to stay up until midnight catching up.
And if you have a child that experiences sensory overload during the holidays like you then take them along with you on your retreat.
You both will benefit and you will get some quality time in that you may have otherwise missed out on.
There is nothing wrong with wanting alone time when family is over, it just gives you the means to better enjoy their company.
(h/t Mommy Underground)