SAN DIEGO COUNTY, Calif. — The holidays may be the only time of year when families are together in the same place, but not everybody always gets along.
Christmas time is supposed to be about spreading joy and happiness, but most people admit getting into the holiday spirit can be a lot harder than it looks.
Gayani Desilva is a child psychiatrist who said, “we do feel a little stress at the holidays."
Dr. Desilva said she is aware of the stress the holidays can bring when you mix intense family dynamics.
“Everybody is an individual even though [they are] part of the collective group of the family and so people have differences of opinion and different political views,” she said.
What is the best way to navigate and get through dinner with family?
Dr. Desilva said, take a deep breath and let it go. Focus on building a connection or change the subject, she added.
Amazon’s Alexa even has a new feature to help families stop the bickering. When prompted she now interjects with a variety of inoffensive topics.
Dr. Desilva also said, “You can say, 'hey, you know what? I don’t want to argue with you. I want to enjoy this time with you let’s change the subject.'”
Happy holidays!