How Many Days Around Family Is Too Many? Experts Explain How To Tell.

"Of course, your family knows how to push your buttons — they installed them."

Spending lots of time with family around the holidays can be wonderful... until it isn’t. If you’ve ever hit a moment on day three or four of a family visit when everything suddenly feels like too much, you’re not alone.

Most of us have a threshold, and once we hit it, even small interactions can feel overwhelming. Just know that’s not a personal failure ― it’s actually a common psychological response. And if you pay attention to the subtle signs that you’re nearing your limit, you can avoid a tense blowup or unnecessary burnout.

So how can you tell when you’re reaching that edge, and what can you do about it? HuffPost asked therapists to break down why this happens, how to recognize the warning signs and what to do when family time starts to feel like too much.

Here’s why family togetherness can drain you, even when things are good.

“Families are complicated, and there are so many reasons that we get overwhelmed and hit our breaking point,” Caitlyn Oscarson, a licensed marriage and family therapist, told HuffPost. “Even when the relationships are good and loving, it’s completely normal to reach our limit.”