The holiday seasons are typically a time for celebrating and having fun. However, they can also come with a level of stress and unmet expectations which can often put unnecessary tension on couples.
According to figures from Washington state between 2001 and 2005, there was a consistent pattern between marriage breakdown and the holiday seasons, showing the two peak divorce periods during the year, being after the holiday period in March and after the holiday period in August.
Psychologist and director of the Australian Institute for Family Studies, Anne Hollands, shared that in her former role as chief executive of Relationships Australia she found that there was a significant peak in couples seeking counselling after the Christmas break in January. “We always knew that just after the New Year, we would get more phone calls for counselling. There is certainly a spike of interest in help for relationship problems immediately after Christmas,” she stated.
There are no official Australian statistics that suggest the time when married couples decide to end their relationships, however, Hollands’ findings do indicate the stress and tension that follows the holiday seasons for couples.
As the Easter weekend is fast approaching, we thought we would put together some simple and helpful tips to be mindful of to ensure you enjoy the holidays as a family!
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- Prepare the holiday period in advance and with intention. Getting all of the holiday preparations sorted in advance helps to alleviate any last-minute stresses that are usually bound to occur! When organising for this time, make plans with your spouse so you can work as a team throughout the holiday.
- Think long-term when making decisions and actions. Keeping everything in perspective is paramount to enjoying the holiday season as they typically only last a few days, whereas your marriage lasts a lifetime.
- A positive outlook and sense of humour are your best friends! It’s not always so easy to maintain a happy disposition when things can potentially go wrong, but trying to look toward the bright side and laughing helps couples find common ground and diffuse difficult situations.
- Encourage everyone to stay off mobile devices as much as possible. Spend this quality time engaging with one another as a family, rather than online. Be present and enjoy the festivities!
- Always have your partner’s back, and remember that you’re on the same team! This is one of the main problems couples can have over the holidays, where issues with extended families and family members can put extra stress on the relationship leaving spouses feeling unsupported and alone. Try to focus on supporting each other collectively as this encourages and creates an environment of team work and positive reinforcement.
Most of all, enjoy the holidays with your family and have fun celebrating with your loved ones!
To speak to one of our Family Law Solicitors to find out if Mediation or Collaborative Practice is right for you and your situation, contact Let’s Talk Mediations on 0482 840 267.