Sign up to our free Living Well email for advice on living a happier, healthier and longer life Live your life healthier and happier with our free weekly Living Well newsletter Live your life healthier and happier with our free weekly Living Well newsletter While the festive season often brings joy, it can also present the unique challenge of navigating tense family gatherings. Many grapple with how to handle relatives who are “intrusive or trigger me or say things that are abusive,” notes Mark Rapaport, president-elect of the American Psychiatric Association. To defuse such stressful dynamics, some employ a strategy known as “gray rocking.” This technique involves acting “boring, like a gray rock,” explains Maryland-based clinical psychologist Samantha Whiten, aiming to “not give difficult people any potential ammunition.” Experts suggest this could be a smart way to survive the holiday season. open image in gallery Not all Christmas gatherings are smooth-sailing – here’s a technique that might help (Getty/iStock) When it can be helpful The gray rock method is perhaps best known as a tool …