You: Get clear on what your expectations are for yourself and your schedule. Once you acknowledge this you can take a look at how reasonable all of the expectations are. You may need to trim down some of the expectations, so do this by determining which are most meaningful to you. For example, you may have many ideas of what your holiday plans should look like and how your special gatherings will
unfold. Be mindful that everything may not go according to plan and give yourself permission to roll with a plan B if necessary.
Your relationship: The expectations that are the most meaningful to you that involve your mate, will be the ones you want to be able to communicate to your mate. Resentment toward your partner because you feel you aren’t getting your needs met during this time of year may easily be avoided by communicating your feelings and
expectations clearly. Each of us is
responsible for letting our
partner know what we need
and also to listen when our partner is communicating his or her
feelings. For example if
you are feeling
overwhelmed or
stressed, talk to your
mate about this. You
may be able to
strategize on a way to
help alleviate some of
the stress.
Manage expectations and communicate.