Holiday Survival Tips: Retain Sanity Through the Happiest Time of the Year

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif., Nov. 21, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- The holidays can be joyous, but they can also bring acute pressures that put us in the grip of stress and anxiety. CPP, Inc. (CPP.com), an industry leader in research, training, and organizational development tools including the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator® (MBTI®) assessment, offers some tips to keep the time enjoyable, beginning with what may be one of the most stressful environments of all: the holiday dinner table.

Marvel not that this cherished time with loved ones can be a major stressor. Holiday dinner assembles people of varying personality types whose socializing preferences may differ immensely. However, knowing a bit about your own personality and those around you allows you to remove friction by flexing your own interaction style.

People tend to get their "energy" in two ways. Those with a preference for Extraversion tend to focus on the outer world of people and activity, while those with a preference for Introversion tend to focus on the inner world of ideas and reflections.

• If you're energized by the outer world, accommodate more reflective friends and family by:
  • Practicing active listening skills
  • Providing pauses in the conversation for others to join in when they're ready
  • Respecting the need for privacy if someone isn't immediately sharing
• If you prefer reflecting on your inner world, try accommodating externally-focused guests by:
  • Acknowledging you're listening with cues: nod, smile, maintain eye contact, etc.
  • Anticipating "thinking out loud," understanding these thoughts may not be 100% complete
  • Focusing on discussing topics you're comfortable with and know well

Similarly, people prefer to make decisions either by: Thinking – basing them on logic and objective analysis of cause and effect; or Feeling – basing them primarily on values and subjective consideration of how it'll affect people.

• If you favor logic and analysis, accommodate the more values-driven decision-makers by:
  • Focusing on the people involved: find out what is valued and important
  • Knowing when to provide feedback gently and critique behaviors, not people
  • Acknowledging others' feelings and values, not analyzing them
• If you prefer values-based decision-making, flex to your more analysis-driven loved ones by:
  • Being honest and frank with your comments, as well as positive
  • Not feeling threatened when someone challenges or debates
  • Showing the cause-and-effect with pros and cons

For more complete insight into how to manage stress or enhance communication according to your personality type, check out CPP's Introduction to Type® and Communication and In the Grip booklets, as well as the MBTI® Stress Management Report.

About CPP, Inc.

Since its founding in 1956, CPP, Inc. has been a leading publisher and provider of innovative products and services for individual and organizational development, supplying reliable training solutions to businesses of all sizes, including the Fortune 500. The company's hundreds of offerings have been used by millions of individuals in more than 100 countries, in more than 20 languages, to help people and organizations grow and develop by improving performance and increasing understanding. Among CPP's world-renowned brands and services are the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator®, Strong Interest Inventory®, Thomas-Kilmann Conflict Mode Instrument (TKI), FIRO®, CPI 260®, and California Psychological Inventory™ (CPI™) assessments; and CPP Professional Services. For more information on CPP, visit www.cpp.com.

Myers-Briggs Type Indicator, Myers-Briggs, and MBTI are trademarks or registered trademarks of the MBTI Trust, Inc. Strong Interest Inventory, FIRO, and CPI 260 are registered trademarks and California Psychological Inventory and CPI are trademarks of CPP, Inc.

SOURCE CPP, Inc.