Philip Galanes's Social Q's Help You Handle The In-Laws & Survive The Holidays (VIDEO)

Tips To Get Through The Holidays Gracefully

If you've had a sticky moment with a friend or family member and couldn't figure out how to resolve it in less than 3 minutes, you've had a Social Q and unfortunately, the holidays tend to be rife with these difficult moments.

These social Q's, Quirks, Quandaries, and Quagmires, are more likely to start post-October when life becomes saturated with parties, events, shopping, and extra work demands. Navigate the holidays gracefully by following NY Times advice columnist, Philip Galanes's, 3 holiday tips.

  • Hold Back

Take it easy on yourself. When parents insist that you fit in an extra trip or more people want accommodation on the already too long holiday party guest list, show some restraint. Reconsider your schedule and instead of welcoming every invitation that comes through your door, say "No Thank You" periodically. You'll be happier, in turn the people in your life will be happier too.

  • Hold Your Tongue

They may push your buttons, you may want to fire back in a satisfying rant of epic derision, but hold on a sec, what will that accomplish beyond a few moments of satisfaction and gloating? Our families invented our buttons, and they will push them, cool your jets, breathe in that holiday spirit and hold your tongue.

  • Hold the Booze

"I can't even tell you the number of social Q's that I have got from people who have just been sitting in the human resources department because of something they said or did or touched at the holiday party due to one to many margaritas. And when it comes to your family if it means that you're really going to tell your sister what you think her problem is with the second glass of wine, keep it to one, okay?"

How did Philip Galanes come up with these holiday tips? As the advice columnist for the NY Times he's more then inundated with questions, problems, and issues. He resurfaced all of the submissions from the last 3 years and then focused the top 20 most common in his new book "Social Q's: How to Survive the Quirks, Quandaries, and Quagmires of Today."

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