How To Festival-Proof Your Love!

We're asking couples to take it easy this holiday season.

- Aishwarya Acharya

A relationship is not always easy. It takes a lot more than just feelings and emotions to make it work. While there are many external factors that weigh in on the future of a relationship, the pressure to be the perfect couple' is one of the most important. And, at this time of year, ‘festive' pressures on relationships are very real, especially for newlyweds. You need to festival-proof your relationship. Let us tell you how.

WHY ARE FESTIVALS STRESSFUL?

This has to be the most pertinent question. Why are festivals and festive seasons so hard on relationships when those are the times you should be relaxing and reconnecting with family and friends? A lot has to do with the responsibilities and expectations that come with them. “Living in a country like India with a rich culture and heritage, festivals are as important as any family function, says life coach Sheetal Shaparia. “With festivals, functions and occasions come a lot of responsibilities such as making delicious sweets and snacks, decorating the entire house, inviting guests over and endless other preparations. And, with responsibilities come expectations from family and especially from each other, as a couple. During this time, in order to meet everyone's expectations and make the family happy, you often miss out on your own time, especially when you're a new couple and it's your first festival with your and your partner's family.” Additionally, your way of celebrating a festival or occasion might be different from your partner's, so making sure communication is strong in this scenario becomes very important.

SET EXPECTATIONS RIGHT