In the last blog post I wrote for you I discussed the 5 ways that women cause men to check out of holidays as explained by men. Go here to read it.

Now that we have some clarity as to some of our antics around holiday party planning, it’s important we understand how we can plan a successful and stress-free holiday party. Most importantly, we want to make sure this is an experience which strengthens our relationships rather than tear them down.

(The following steps are husband approved)

6 ways to plan a stress free holiday party that will help your relationship rather than harm it!

Set Reasonable Expectations, Together

The keyword here is together. Often times a man and woman will have much different expectations. Sit down and discuss ideas, plans, and who will be in charge of what. Rather than assigning your husband or boyfriend things to do, make sure to ask him what he’s most interested in being involved in. Make a rule: if you don’t enjoy it, don’t do it. That way you both truly enjoy what you are doing and it adds much more fun to the holiday. Bonus tip: it helps to explain why a certain task may mean so much to you, for a better understand between the both of you.

See Also: How To Tap Into Your Feminine (Energy)

Be Patient

Remember that women are able to juggle multiple tasks at once, whereas men are single focused. They can only do one thing at a time. So while you may have tackled multiple tasks as once, be patient. He’s doing the best he can and giving it all to the one thing he’s working on. With this in mind will cause you to relax a little bit, and for him to not feel so much pressure from you. He knows you can do more things at a time, he wishes he could do the same.

Be Kind

Sometimes in relationships we forget our manners. A simple please and thank you go a long way. When we come from a loving place it calls to our man to be the best man he can be. To be kind is to be understanding that he’s doing the best he can. Remember, he wants to make you happy. The opposite of kind will result in the opposite of the outcome you had in mind.

Give Praise

Praise is a man’s fuel. It charges him when he’s feeling a bit sluggish. Praise encourages a man to keep going. When we take time to praise him for even the little things, the things a woman often think a man should just do, it fills him up reminds him why he does what he does. Make praise your new first language.

Share Appreciation

We all love appreciation. When we don’t feel appreciated as men or women, we question whether it’s worth it, or ask what’s the point. When we do not feel appreciated resentment starts to build for doing even the smallest of tasks. While we may feel appreciation for what our husbands or boyfriends may do, it’s important to share this with them in the form of words, a note, or doing something for them to show them how much we appreciate their hard work and dedication.

Find Gratitude

There is always something to be grateful. Maybe the holiday party planning didn’t go just as planned, but there is still something to be grateful for. Finding gratitude in even the smallest of things helps boost the mood and the energy of both you and your significant other when you share gratitude with them. Whenever you may be feeling frustrated, angry, or anxious, look for anything to be grateful for and write it down or say it out loud. This will help channel your focus on the better things in life and not get caught up on the small stuff.

So those are the 6 super helpful holiday & relationship tips for planning a stress free holiday party that help your relationship rather than harm it!

Let me know how it goes! Remember, these 6 relationship tips are not limited to your own intimate relationship. They can also be used with other men (friends or family) and be incredibly helpful too!

One more thing: Don’t forget the mistletoe!!

Happy Holidays!

Amanda