I love the holidays, when exam stress gives way to that ever-elusive break. But before you can say “easy, Santa,” family rolls into town and obligation plants itself on your shoulders. Fear not — there are alternatives.

It’s snowing and you’re playing your favourite Christmas track — maybe it’s “Fairytale of New York” or Mariah Carey’s “All I Want for Christmas.” I’m not here to judge you, we all have our stuff.

You’re belting out the bridge — and killing it, quite frankly — when your sister calls. She says it’s time to come over for a rousing game of Trivial Pursuit. You say no, not tonight, but then she ups the ante.

“I flew here from Europe, but I guess you can’t make the 10 minute trip to mom’s house.” You feel your temples begin to throb. Your eye twitches. You wish for the hundredth time that you had your therapist’s cell phone number.

Ever the people-pleaser, you feel compelled to comply. However, there are certain ways to make spending time with your family a little more survivable.

Those of you who already know this, please bear with me. For some of us, this is some revolutionary shit.

First things first: bring a pie. If you show up with a store-bought pie, no matter how much anyone complains about the work they did, you know you did your part. You brought a pie; you fed people. Whether you spent $5 or five hours on it is entirely beside the point.

After dinner, you can offer to help clean or wash dishes. More helping means less talking, which is sometimes ideal. It also makes you look good — win-win.

When it comes to distracting yourself, there are plenty of options. Ask for a book as a gift, and then read said gift. More reading means — you guessed it — less talking.

Most students are presumably millennials with smart phones. Take out your electronic devices and play with them. Text your best friend in Halifax. Don’t look up. Even try it during dinner if you’re feeling devilish. You go with your bad self.

Another option is to leave for a while. Even if it’s just for a moment to get a coffee, making an escape can be a lifesaver.

Make sure to set boundaries. If your redneck uncle corners you and is insistent that you talk about the controversial news item of the week, don’t engage.

I mean, you can. You can tell your redneck uncle to fuck off and come armed with facts, but be prepared to have those facts fall on deaf ears.

If your family is anything like mine, first of all, I’m sorry. Second, there might be a lot of fighting, pettiness and drama. It’s common that siblings hate each other. In fact, I think that few families have it together.

That said, based on what there is to see on many reality TV shows and the popularity of websites like ashleymadison.com, relatively speaking, it seems that things could always be worse.

However, if these tips don’t seem to work, there is still one final option. While this time of year has always mattered to me, and I’ve only ever missed one Christmas with my family before — against my own wishes — things change and people change. So this year, I’m getting away.

I write two finals on Dec. 22, pack and sleep on the 23rd, and fly to Maui, Hawaii on the 24th where my wife and I will be spending three blissful family-free days on a beach. So in short, if the opportunity presents itself, I suggest you get away from it all at least once.

The holidays might be a time for family, but they’re also definitely a time for yourself.

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Patty Hails

Graphic: Jeremy Britz / Graphics Editor