Highlights
Read about how the holiday season can pose challenges to mental health of people due to social anxieties and crossed boundaries and how we can avoid putting others in these uncomfortable situations.
Overview
Celebrating the holidays can be quite a challenge, especially if a person has associated the season with an awkward or even traumatic experience in the past because of other people’s comments and questions.
1. Respectfully agree to disagree.
In answering or asking questions to other people, showing respect and curiosity instead of judgment and condemnation is important. Communicate to understand before aiming to change the other minds to certain sensitive and polarizing topics such as religion, politics, and gender expressions.
2. Practice self-care.
Healthy boundaries can be achieved by prioritizing self-care. Inform oneself about mindful communication and building better relationships that should be a priority, even after the holiday season.
3. Saying ‘no’ is acceptable.
Having the ‘perfect’ Christmas can be unrealistic, considering all the challenges that people face amidst the pandemic. Managing one’s expectations can help you say no to events like Christmas parties with family, or catching-up with friends, allowing you to save social, emotional, and mental batteries.
Learn more about how you can create healthy boundaries for yourself this holiday season and even all year round through this Rappler article.
