How To Help Your Family Deal With Stress Anxiety During Thanksgiving

 

For some, Thanksgiving is the best holiday of the year. Extroverts who enjoy being around people often thrive during holiday parties and while shopping. Introverts may get overwhelmed with all the commotion. People with ADHD or anxiety can experience difficulty dealing with so many activities. Even when you take anxiety medication
adults may still need grace and a safe place through the day. Here are some tips to help everyone in your family have fun.

Communicate Openly With Each Other

A little bit of talking goes a long way when dealing with stress and anxiety at the holidays. We can’t always control how the relatives will act or the details of the day, but we can talk about what we need and how we can deal with different situations. Knowing that you have each other’s backs when one of you is nervous about spending time with the family can help you manage the stress before the day.

Support Each Other Emotionally

Talking it out lets you support each other emotionally. Children may just need to know that their parents are okay with them walking away or doing something quiet when the rest of the family is playing outside. Although you can use a natural anxiety medication for children, validation of their needs is important, too. Having a plan for when things get out of hand can help those with anxiety and stress manage their emotions better, too.

Give Each Other Space

Even the most extroverted people often just need a few minutes to regroup and be alone. Give yourself (or your children or spouse) permission to take a break if things become too intense. Find another room. Take a walk with your favorite human or canine. Retreat is always an option, a healthy one at that. Even just going to the restroom for a few minutes of peace and quiet can help someone recenter and regroup to handle a few more minutes of craziness on Thanksgiving. Avoid judging your family members for doing what they need to do to enjoy the holiday.

Role Play Situations

Practice dealing with different situations to get better at handling the types of situations that make you stressful. What do you say when someone makes snarky comments? How do you handle it when someone doesn’t like it when you just walk away from the fray? Learning to respond with grace doesn’t come easy for most of us, especially when we’re stressed or anxious. Learning to say, “that’s enough, can we talk about something else?” is a great response, but in the heat of the moment, it can be difficult to remember.

Remember the Reason For the Season

Thanksgiving is about gratitude and family. It can help to remember why you get together through the holidays to celebrate. Every family has its own stressors. Learning to manage your own stress and anxiety is a skill that will help you in other situations. Start taking the best ADHD medication for child with anxiety now to give your children a head start on reducing their own anxiety.