No matter who we are or what we do, our families have always been our guiding light and source of joy. However, there are times when we don’t get along with the other family members well. Some of us have rivalries with our siblings while others just don’t like it when granny reprimands them for not raising their children well.
What are you going to do if you have been invited to a family get together? Oh dear. Facing your relatives whom you had issues with will be very awkward for sure. Don’t worry. With a strong support system and the tips in this post, I am sure that you will survive your get together. Here’s what you need to do:
- Always have a “plan B” ready. Look for hotels near your venue so you have somewhere to escape to in case something goes wrong during the reunion. It’s better if you have a close friend near that area so you will have someone to go to.
- Don’t bring the past back. Disregard the whines and yaps of your auntie who accused you of stealing her china. Don’t let her storytelling get to you. A reunion will last for just a few hours or so hence ignore her or be civil.
- Days before the reunion, record all your feelings towards your family members. Write what you want to say to them. Let it all out. Lash them or curse them or say anything you have been dying to say. After that, go out. Take a swim, shop, kick box, or do anything you want to do just to channel all that pent up emotion.
After doing all that, go back to your paper. Read everything that you have written. Burn the paper. Take deep breaths after. I am sure that you feel better now that you have let go of everything that was bothering you.
- Take your best friend or your other half with you. He or she can give you the support that you need during a tough time. He or she can keep you entertained too.
- Just stay for a couple of hours. Inform the host or hostess beforehand that you need to leave after a few hours. This is important because the longer you stay with your relatives with issues, the more difficult it is for you to recover. Deal with things slowly. Who knows, you might be able to get along with them on your next reunion if things go well.
- Do not consume too much alcohol. Unfortunately, alcohol can bring about negative effects. For example, you might spill your anger towards your cousins. Worst thing that can happen is that you end up beating your relatives because you are too drunk.
- Clear your mind. Go to another room every now and then just to breathe. This will help you manage your feelings. Just breathe. You can bring an mp3 player with you to help you calm down. Listen to relaxing music while clearing your mind. Again, don’t let them affect you. You can talk to your favorite niece too.
- Join the games. This will help you kill the time. You might even patch up your differences with your relatives because you were team mates in your game. Or better yet, this will give you a chance to beat your cousin who is in the opposing team. What say you?
Try the tips in this post the next time you are off to a family reunion. I know that it will be very tough so good luck! You can do it.
Author’s bio: Marcy Gray likes sharing her tips and tricks, and opinions through writing. In addition, she likes to write about various topics such as Removing Skin Tags Yourself and Fat Loss 4 Idiots Diet