Anyone else feel overwhelmed by so many people in short space of time?

[NemophilistRebel]

The main thing that worries me in the build up to Christmas is spending full days with families with no or minimal break in between

Christmas Day this year was the turn to be at my parents with my family
Which means Boxing Day is with DH family.

It’s 12 adults and 5 children all in one room and I get full on panicked by the thoughts of it

Am I just an unsociable person?

It just feels like too much

You sound like an introvert. Is there any way you can make the day a little shorter or escape for a walk?

I feel like that at this time of year. I’m looking forward to Wednesday next week when all my hosting/visiting will be over.
DH and two of our three children are autistic so I feel like I’m the one who’s generally keeping the conversations going especially with DHs family (though I have stepped back a bit), it’s just so exhausting.

No, because I feel exactly the same. Dh comes from a large family and I was an only child, with hardly any extended family from either parents around when I was growing up, so that's probably a factor.

Although I love socialising with smaller groups of family or friends, I have never felt comfortable in large gatherings, especially those where you have to put on a 'show', such as opening presents in front of a large group, which is sn ordeal for me, no matter how nice the people and presents!

I feel like this when there's lots of people around. I do like my own space and I think at Christmas its particularly hard as its an exhausting time of year anyway. I've got one more family thing to do around New Year and I will be very relieved when its all over and I can get back to normal.

Yes, and I'm an introvert in a family of extroverts. We're visiting my in laws who are also all party people, but I'm in the fortunate position of being ablke to retreat to "our room" for breaks. If I couldn't, I'd be exhausted after a couple of days. Its so tough to keep energy up, but if it was a day visit, I'd suck it up then spend a few days hibernating to refuel the tanks. Can you escape for a walk? One that maybe takes you somewhere quiet? On your own, that's the important bit.

It’d not just being an introvert though - I’m pretty extrovert & I still find lots of people in a small room exhausting. It’s more the claustrophobia & heat!

My escape route was to do the washing up and the drying - and sling everyone out of the kitchen......and savour those 20 minutes

I have escape routes planned. It makes me a much nicer person. So walking the dog, going out for a walk on my own or anyone who wants to come, it tends to be easy even in a big p on a walk to get some alone time.

I’ll go upstairs for a ‘nap’ so lie on the bed with my phone, or offer to make a round of tea.

My dh knows I need a bit of alone time as do the rest of his extended noisy family. So tend to be fairly accommodating. I don’t do a big drama ‘I must be alone’ but just potter off.

I’m a complete introvert, so happy to be around people but need to recharge on my own.

Disappearing quietly always works best! I'm super sneaky...

Yes, which is why we now have boxing Day to ourselves. Another family day tomorrow after a day off works for me.