Surviving Your Family This Holiday Season: 7 Tips to Keep Control

The holidays are a time of joy, light, and generosity. They're also...a time of family stress. Close quarters with family members can spur on stress eating, loss of control, and plenty of other bad feelings.

Check out these 7 tips to have the best possible holiday season.

#1: ME TIME

You have to carve out daily time for yourself. Whether it's extra time in the shower to shave your legs, a solo trip to the gym, or half an hour alone in your bedroom to read, make sure to schedule that into your day, everyday during the holidays.

#2: BREATHE (but do it this way)

Know how to slow your breathing down. Breathing has been scientifically proven to reset and reduce stress. One easy approach is the 5-5-5-5 method. Count to five on an inhale, hold for five, breath out for five, then hold for five. Repeat this for 2 minutes and work your way up to five minutes.

#3: MEDITATE

Meditation can help decrease stress and bring inner peace. Even if you're a beginner, this is something you can successfully do during the holidays. Pick a modality, a guided meditation or mantra. There are some good, free meditation apps to try: Insight Timer, Smiling Mind, or a free trial version of Headspace or Aura. Or you can choose a mantra to say to yourself as you sit quietly by yourself. Some mantras to repeat: "Om," "I am that I am," or make up your own mantra: "I am calm," "I will survive." Sit with yourself for 3 minutes and see each day if you can add one minute to your meditation.

#4: GO OUTSIDE

Take time outside every day, even if it's freezing cold or a snowstorm. Go for a bike ride or a walk. Bundle up and have a snowball fight, or go sledding. And invite all your guests to participate. Group activities can be invigorating and then everyone will want to take a nap afterwards. And that equals peace and quiet.

#5: TAKE A NAP

If you're overtired from extra hosting duties, stress or whatever, take an hour (or two) to relax and unplug. Napping is a wonderful way to improve your mood, ease stress, make you more alert, and even boost your memory.

#6: STEP AWAY

It's ok to take yourself out for a drive, run an errand on your own, or head to your bedroom. Whether you're hosting or visiting, you don't need to be engaged 24/7.

#7: PLAN AHEAD

Know your pain points going into the situation. Holidays with family and friends, although exciting, can also be emotionally charged and draining. Understand yourself and how you react with the people you'll be spending time with. That way you can plan ahead and schedule ideas 1 - 6 into your daily routine while you're visiting relatives, or hosting in your own home.