- Before heading to Thanksgiving dinner, assess your emotions to ensure you’re calm and prepared for potential conflicts.
- Reflect on the environment and how to handle tense situations if they arise, such as setting boundaries or knowing when to disengage.
- Get expert advice from Jenn Briere on how to navigate family discussions without the drama in the video above.
(The following is a transcription of the full broadcast story)
Over the years, Thanksgiving dinner has become a battleground for local families, but after this election, tensions are higher than ever. I'm your neighborhood reporter, Russell Shellberg, taking the conversation to mental health officials to see how you can enjoy your dinner without the debate.
When it comes to rising temperatures, you might want to keep that to the food and not around the table. So, I sat down with Jenn Briere, Director of Outpatient Services at Cedar Creek Hospital in St. Johns, to understand how to navigate hard conversations.
"First and foremost, check in with yourself. How are you feeling?" said Briere.
Briere says this step is crucial even before stepping out the door.
"Checking in with yourself first and understanding what you need to feel calm and regulated in your body is going to be really important," said Briere.
Briere told me these personal check-ins are a way to help regulate feelings of stress before you add more during tabletop discussions. She also adds another tip for navigating tough conversations.
"Cope ahead of time. Spend a little time reflecting on what the environment might be like and what you will do if things get tense or stressful for you," said Briere.
Briere says taking the time to understand what may lie ahead can help ease topics when they arise or help you establish a time to leave.
"If you want to avoid conflict and just spend time together, and things get too heated, let yourself know it's okay—you don't have to engage," said Briere.
Even though Briere knows conversations will come up, she says to think of this time as a chance to connect rather than divide.
"If you're getting together with family, you're getting together with them because you want to share that time with them. There's always a time to discuss politics, but maybe this time, it's not at a family dinner," said Briere.
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