The holidays are fun and filled with Christmas spirit, friends, and family. Sometimes the dysfunction that comes from these family visits can be stressful. We spend the most time with our family in the final few weeks of the year than any time in most instances. Which means, it’s a time to face the questions: What are your plans for after high school? Got a boyfriend/girlfriend yet? How is school going? It’s tiring. We all face it. So, how do we get through it?

If it gets too overwhelming when a family member says something upsetting, blowing up at them or snapping a passive-aggressive comeback won’t make anything better. To keep your cool, try practicing mindfulness. Just remind yourself to take deep breaths and keep your calm. Don’t let them get to you.

It could be helpful to find a distraction or to just take a minute and go hide up in your room, no matter how antisocial it may make you seem. This is a trick that is very commonly used to find an escape for a minute. The idea is to not go completely crazy during family holidays.

If you can’t escape from the family, find that favorite cousin and spend some time with them to avoid the awkward talk with distant relatives. You will find that way more enjoyable.

In some cases there isn’t much you can do to avoid tension during this less than fun family time. Sometimes the only option is to just go with it; smile and nod. Even if it is the fakest smile you can conjure up, you won’t have to do any talking and you can just drown out the conversation.

Granted, there are a lot of students who have a close familial relationship– but if that’s not you, just try to make the best of the situation. After all, it is your family and it is the holidays, so be happy.