It is a commonly known fact that the holidays can be an incredibly stressful time. At no other time of year are there so many demands of your time, your finances and your immediate family. Our goal at saltyvixenstories.com is to always provide you with the best information and tools for maintaining a healthy and romantic relationship. Below are tips and suggestions for handling the stress that so often accompanies the winter holidays.

Money

Perhaps the biggest source of stress during the holidays is money. Wondering how you are going to be able to afford all those gifts you have to buy is often a tremendous source of pressure that you can do without. The best way to handle this is to do a family budget and get the best gifts you can afford. Or, get creative and give homemade gifts this year. Everyone has some talent, and most people find homemade gifts more sentimental and heart-warming.

Family

Coming in a close second on the list of stress-sources this holiday season is family. Often, during the holidays, you are either visiting in-laws or they are visiting you. My parents and sister actually just visited me from England and, even though I love them all immensely, I realized during their visit just how much pressure it was putting on my family to have them here. The major source of pressure came from the fact that we needed our own space and had to work, while they wanted us to spend time with them.Below are a few suggestions:

If you have family coming to visit:

- Create an itinerary
  Make a list of all the places of interest in your area that they would be interested in going to. Make time to go with them if at all possible, otherwise give them directions.

Make them feel welcome
The worst thing that can happen when they come to visit is that they feel that they are intruding. Make them feel as welcome as you can and spend as much time as possible with them.

Put your immediate family first
Even though your family is visiting, your partner and your immediate family have to take priority. Make sure you spend some quality time with your partner during their visit.If your in-laws are visiting, realize that it is probably very stressful for your spouse also and do what you can to accommodate him or her. Your partner is probably stuck in the middle between pleasing you and their family.Obviously, if you are a going to visit them, the opposite applies.

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Time

This actually follows on quite nicely from the previous point regarding family. There is often so much to do and so little time that the stress is unbearable. To handle this, do your best to plan ahead. Above all, however, expect and be willing to experience, the unexpected. Things will very often not go to plan. If things change, then change your plans with them. Don't allow yourself to get stressed.

The most important thing to remember, however, is to create some quality time with your partner. This will allow you to forget the outside world and just enjoy each other's company. Together, you can face and overcome almost any barrier. Divided, you are just another stress-point for your partner and vice-versa. For ideas on spending quality time together, Check out our Romance Ideas on our website