No, I don’t mean don your armour and hoist your sword aloft! But I do mean take a few moments to think about what might be the ‘battle’ triggers in your household.

You probably know what they are, so try and anticipate them, and in your mind’s eye see yourself rising above it all and refusing to acknowledge the jibe about your job from Uncle Seth, or the barbed comment about your marital status from another.

Tell yourself now that these things will not matter, and they won’t! Like the corny cards say, ‘Mind over matter- if you don’t mind, it don’t matter!’ Words can only bother you if you choose to let them. So choose to be calm and grown up; and let it all pass you by.