Navigating Toxic Family Members During the Holidays
â¨How are YOU doing it this year? This topic is trending after Oprahâs âNo Contactâ podcast episode â people are finally realizing that ghosting toxic relatives during the holidays isnât disrespectâŚitâs self-protection. The holidays can be beautiful â but they can also be heavy, triggering, or downright unsafe if you come from dysfunction, emotional neglect, or spiritual suppression. For many of us, walking into certain family spaces feels like stepping back into an old version of ourselves weâve already outgrown. I get it. I lived it. I was the literal Black sheep of my family â me and my twin brother were adopted by a strict, conservative, narcissistic, religious white family in upstate New York. I know what itâs like to be left out of plans, misrepresented, the center of gossip, or spiritually policed. And as a Spiritualist, you donât always need to be in the room to feel whatâs being said behind closed doors. IYKYK. đ Because of all that, Iâve limited contact with my adopted family. And honestly? Itâs been one of the most peaceful decisions Iâve ever made. If youâre navigating something similar this holiday season, here are a few grounded, real suggestions to protect your peace: 1. Donât Go. Sometimes the most spiritually aligned action is absence â not out of spite, but out of self-care, safety, and sanity.If being around certain people drains you, destabilizes you, or reactivates trauma, staying home is not avoidance⌠itâs healing. Youâre allowed to create new traditions that honor the person youâve become. 2. Limit Interactions. If you do go, give yourself a time limit. A boundary. A plan. â âI can stay for one hour.â â âIâll leave by 6.â â âNo overnight visits.â When my kids were little, this saved us. We had grandparents on both sides and it always felt obligatory. So we had an âescape planâ every holiday â and honestly, it kept the peace. 𤣠You are not obligated to sit in dysfunction just because itâs December. 3. If Youâre Going, Show Up Spiritually Protected.