How to Get Through the Holidays During Marriage Crisis
The short answer
To get through the holidays during a marriage crisis, take time to care for yourself physically, intellectually, emotionally and spiritually, then look for ways to give back to others. If you want to give a straying spouse a gift, keep it small and friendly, or send a short card instead, and avoid anything that could feel manipulative or pushy.
Key takeaways
- The podcast covers four things that help you get through the holidays, especially if you are separated and have children.
- A small, friendly gift for a straying spouse is fine if you expect nothing back; otherwise a short Christmas card is the safer choice.
- Avoid anything your spouse could read as manipulative or pushy during the holidays.
- Care for yourself with walks, reading, prayer or a new hobby, then shift your focus to giving back to others.
The holidays can be hard to face when your marriage is in trouble…
…that’s why we created this complimentary package of Holiday Marriage Help Tips for you.
1. How to Get through the Holidays Podcast
During this podcast, we will talk about the 4 things you can do to get through the holiday season, especially if you have children and you are separated during this time.
Listen to it here:
2. Question: Should I get my straying spouse a Christmas gift?
Answer: It depends on your situation. If you feel that you can give your spouse a small gift as you would a friend, to simply show that you are thinking about him or her during this time, then do so. However, if giving the gift will leave you feeling anxious of getting one back or nervous about how your spouse might respond, then it’s probably better to forego the gift and settle for a short Christmas card.
You don’t want to do anything that your spouse may see as manipulative or pushy during this time.
3. Do something for yourself.
As simple as it sounds, take some time to focus on yourself. Do some introspection. Get yourself physically, intellectually, emotionally, and spiritually ready for 2016.
No matter what happens, you need to be able to be happy and healthy and take care of yourself.
Start going for walks. Spend some time alone meditating or praying daily. Start reading. Take up a new hobby. Focus on yourself. Become healthy. Then start focus on giving back to others. By doing this, you shift your focus away from your problems and start focusing on being positive.
Another thing you might consider is starting your own prayer journal.
We created one at Marriage Helper to help you through your marriage.
This prayer journal guides you through an entire year of keeping your prayers. With a place for requests and needs and a place for praises and answers, you can follow how God has walked beside you throughout an entire year.
No matter what happens, we are here for you.
We hope you have a very Merry Christmas!
Common questions
Should I give my straying spouse a Christmas gift?
It depends on your situation. If you can give a small gift the way you would to a friend, just to show you are thinking of them, go ahead; if it would leave you anxious about getting one back or about how they will respond, a short Christmas card is probably better.
How do I take care of myself over the holidays when my marriage is in crisis?
Take time to focus on yourself physically, intellectually, emotionally and spiritually. Go for walks, read, pray or meditate daily, take up a hobby, and then look for ways to give back to others so your focus shifts away from your problems.
How do I get through the holidays when we are separated with kids?
The podcast in this post walks through four things you can do to get through the holiday season, especially if you have children and are separated. Whatever you do, avoid anything your spouse might see as manipulative or pushy.